Connect your social media account
Connect with The Independent
Want an ad-free experience? Subscribe to Independent Premium.
BitChute describes himself as a ‘freedom of expression’, but the report accuses him of a platform of ‘hate and terror’, reports Dear Lizzieden
As major social media platforms react to tension in banning extremists, the right has discovered a new home for “hate and terror.”
BitChute describes itself as a “freedom of expression” website, but researchers say it has a main platform for neo-Nazi videos, racism, violence, conspiracy theories and even terrorist propaganda.
It is one of the many “choice” social media corporations that capitalize on classic dismantling, adding VK, Facebook’s Russian, Twitter Talk option and the Gab network.
Share the full story, only the headlines
An organization’s report against extremism Hope Not Hate said BitChute “was a platform of hatred and terror in the UK.”
Author Gregory Davis described it as an edition of “YouTube where you can get away with posting violent, Nazi and content.”
“Videos are usually far-right, racist and homophobic … if you look at their trend list on a given day, you’ll see what other people are going to see.”
On Wednesday, among trending videos, one of the prominent theorists of the British conspiracy, David Icke, stated that young people were being used as “lab rats” and several others through anti-vaccines.
Martin Sellner, a leading figure from the white nationalist generation organisation Generation Identity, which banned entry into the UK and the United States for security reasons, also on the most sensible list.
The same goes for Carl Benjamin, named Sargon de Akkad, who investigated through the police for rape of MP Jess Phillips and who ran in the European elections for Ukip.
Sign up with your social account or click to sign in
Icke has more than 39,000 subscribers on its BitChute channel, while Sellner has 14,500 and Tommy Robinson 26,000.
Hope Not Hate said, “BitChute does not tolerate users who have been excluded from many platforms for hate speech, but actively promotes those channels and content.”
He is among dozens of publications allegedly selling Robinson, as well as other far-right extremists, anti-Semites and conspiracy theorists.
The report states that the lack of moderation and the ability to publish hateful content have a “single promotion point” for BitChute.
Founder Ray Vahey, who launched the site in January 2017, said at the time that it was the product of “increasing the censorship of major social media platforms,” such as banning users, demonetizing their videos, and modifying algorithms.
BitChute’s EU rules stipulate that terrorists and “credible threats or incitement to violence” and “malicious use of the platform” will not be tolerated.
But Hope Not Hate researchers discovered 114 videos supporting terrorist groups, 86 for Isis, their own propaganda, and 23 National Action.
He also met 93 other videos supporting other teams and Americans connected to foreign terrorism, adding Al Qaeda ideologue Anwar al-Awlaki and the neo-Nazi atomWaffen division.
Several hate chains have openly racist and anti-Semitic names, adding “p – Jewish” and “National Socialism Works”.
Videos noticed through The Independent also include shootings, violent attacks and selective harassment of named people.
“There’s a lot of violence designed to stoke anger or celebrate it,” Davis said.
“There’s a lot of promotion for hate crimes or violence, even leaving out terrorist teams that are hard to find.”
He added: “It is a UK-registered company that hosts content from British users, which is warned through the British and much of whom break the law.”
Hope Not Hate stated that, unless adjustments are made, BitChute “must be a bad actor and online damage promoter.”
He said the next online damage bill will have “significant consequences” for platforms hosting harmful content.
In a statement, BitChute said that thousands of videos were downloaded daily and that the online page was developing “incredibly fast”.
Managing director Vahey added: “We have disposed of thousands of people who violate our terms of use, but we are our moderation systems and we know we want to do more.
“We are working hard to introduce new policies and processes that will improve our ability to remove illegal content and are already working with several organizations to expand our capabilities.
“As a small platform, we have limited resources and inspire organizations like Hope Not Hate to help us in our processes and interact in a direct discussion with us.”
Vahey said bans through online platforms push other people to other networks without “any responsibility.”
You can check our network regulations in their entirety here.
Create a feedback call to sign up for the discussion
Create a feedback call to sign up for the discussion
Create a feedback call to sign up for the discussion
You can check our network regulations in their entirety here.
Create a feedback call to sign up for the discussion
Create a feedback call to sign up for the discussion
Enter your email to the new comments about this article.
Are you sure you’re sending this vote?
Need to mark this comment as inappropriate?
Need to mark this comment as inappropriate?
Are you sure you’ll delete this comment?
Find your favorites in your Premium Independent section, my profile