Platformer ditches Substack for sticking with pro-Nazi content
Casey Newton, a technology journalist and founder of the technology newsletter Platformer is leaving Substack, as per theWashington Post. The reason he cites is Substack's insufficient content moderation policies concerning pro-Nazi and pro-Holocaust material. "We can no longer stay in good conscience," Newton wrote in his today's newsletter. The publication has over 170,000 subscribers and is widely read among influential technology industry leaders. This move comes after weeks of back-and-forth with Substack over its weak content moderation policy.
Substack's hands-off approach and writer discontent
Substack, a platform for creating and sharing newsletters, has become popular among journalists and authors who feel sidelined by mainstream media for their controversial views. However, since November, the platform has faced criticism for hosting numerous white-supremacist and neo-Nazi newsletters. In response, about 250 Substack writers signed an open letter called "Substackers against Nazis" in December, urging the company to clarify its stance.
Substacks's co-founder's response
Hamish McKenzie, Substack's co-founder, addressed the concerns on December 21, implying that the company's tolerance of extremism was deliberate. He said that while they wish no one held such views, censorship would only make the problem worse. Substack recently banned five small, openly pro-Nazi accounts. However, many writers still find this action insufficient as larger extremist accounts remain active.
Platformer migrates to Ghost
Starting Monday, Platformer will move to Ghost, an open-source newsletter platform. Ghost's terms of service prohibit content promoting violence or threatening actions toward others, and its CEO John O'Nolan has promised to remove all pro-Nazi content. Unlike Substack, Ghost doesn't have social features that help newsletters quickly gain followers and attention. This might slow down Platformer's growth but will also prevent the spread of extremist ideas on the platform.
