Options for neo-Nazis on the internet are starting to shrinkYet the decision of web providers yanking services and ejecting Nazi scumbags is apparently a controversial and unprecedented issue. It would appear that until now, like Trump, internet companies like Facebook and Cloudflare have not shared the instinctive moral revulsion most Americans, Europeans, and British feel toward white supremacists and neo-Nazis. [...]
It should be noted that press has simultaneously noted that hate groups and white supremacist memes "thrive, even in wide open, public communities" on Facebook. Don't worry, it's still a clean, well-lit place for fascism: Facebook still defends Holocaust denial as free speech as its policy, despite the fact that it is illegal in 16 countries because it is linked to violence against Jews. [...]
The problem is that the same companies we're cheering at to take a bite out of Nazi privilege and access are the same companies whose takedown and censorship processes are muddy -- which is what gives them play to censor people they simply don't want on their services. Like people who work in the sex industry, and LGBT people, who are most often silenced at the censorship end of these policies. One need only read the news over the past several years to see that legitimate voices get silenced online far more than those of aging skinheads and young Nazis.
Previously, previously, previously, previously, previously, previously.
I remember as a kid (25-30 years ago) reading something to the effect of "big companies won't help the environment until it's in their financial interest"., and I remember being depressed because I recognised it as being true (and as far as I can tell, it still is).
The same applies here. To look at it in a (slightly) more positive way; businesses are a mirror of public opinion. As public opinion shifts against the far right (again), so businesses find it's in their interests to do the same.
As a corollary, there's probably a market niche for hosting white power websites. As long as you don't have morels or anything.
This is why I get so tired when people complain "Oh, Target only supports Gay Pride because it makes them money!" Well, yes. That's capitalism. AND, what would you prefer; that they sold "God Hates Fags" shirts instead? We can take their belated half-measures and say "yes, do more of this and better please."
I found it very interesting that the Daily Stormer apparently chose to imply that CloudFlare supported their message -- an obviously foolish decision given that's what got them dropped like a rock in the end.
As for FB, well, we know they "protect white men but not black children" (why anyone would put that in as a policy example is beyond me, but we know how FB is, here).
Ernst Zundel wants his precedent back.