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The Internet of Hate
Article

The Internet of Hate

After Charlottesville, Nazis, white supremacists, and the alt-right have become a lot less welcome on the web. So they’re building their own.

Slate, 2017

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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Controversial
  • Eye Opening
  • Bold

Recommendation

After several tech companies, including Google, shut down extremist platforms, several members of alt-right movements are planning to create an alternative Internet ostensibly built around a broader definition and application of free speech. Tech writer April Glaser's article describes the developments before cleverly looping back to the question: No matter where you stand politically, do you want a few powerful tech companies to have the power to decide who gets to be on your Internet? getAbstract recommends this detailed account to anyone interested in the balance among free speech, hate speech, and the disparate political views in current American culture.

Summary

In the aftermath of the white supremacist activity and subsequent protests in Charlottesville, Virginia, many ultra-conservative groups were banned from some of the Internet's biggest platforms. Of particular note was Google's removal of Gab, an alt-right social network, from its app store. Prior to the rally, Airbnb and Facebook had already removed organizers of the event from their platforms. Domain registrars and hosting companies like GoDaddy and NameCheap have denied service to some alt-right sites, including the Daily Stormer, which was essential in organizing the rally...

About the Author

April Glaser is a technology writer whose work appears in several online publications, including Slate and Recode.