Line 56:
== Providing registration service for far-right domains ==
Epik iswas known for providing services to websites with far-right content, such as the social network [[Gab (social network)|Gab]], video hosting service [[BitChute]], and conspiracy theory website ''[[InfoWars]].''<ref name="Makuch" /><ref name="Hayden">{{Cite web|last=Hayden|first=Michael Edison|date=January 11, 2019|title=A Problem of Epik Proportions|url=https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2019/01/11/problem-epik-proportions|access-date=May 5, 2019|website=[[Southern Poverty Law Center]]|language=en|archive-date=January 12, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190112081948/https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2019/01/11/problem-epik-proportions|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="CriesFoul" /> It was described in 2019 by [[Vice (magazine)|''Vice'']] as "a safehaven for the extreme right" and in 2021 by ''[[The Seattle Times]]'' as "a home for far-right websites" because of its willingness to host far-right websites that have been denied service by other [[Internet service provider]]s.<ref name="Makuch" /><ref>{{Cite news|last=Long|first=Katherine Khashimova|date=January 11, 2021|title=Parler, booted by Amazon, takes step toward relaunching with Eastside Firm|work=[[The Seattle Times]]|url=https://www.seattletimes.com/business/technology/pro-trump-social-media-site-parler-booted-by-amazon-takes-step-toward-relaunching-with-bellevue-firm/|access-date=February 6, 2021|archive-date=February 4, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210204180117/https://www.seattletimes.com/business/technology/pro-trump-social-media-site-parler-booted-by-amazon-takes-step-toward-relaunching-with-bellevue-firm/|url-status=live}}</ref>{{refn|<ref name="HelpsFringe" /><ref name="Schulberg" /><ref name="MartineauBack" /><ref name="Makuch"/><ref name="BuysVancouver"/><ref name="Hayden"/>}} In 2021, ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'' wrote that Epik was "a safe harbour for websites said to be enabling the spread far-right extremism and carrying Neo-Nazi content";<ref name=":4">{{Cite news|last=Meaker|first=Morgan|date=January 18, 2021|title=Epik: The domain registrar keeping extremist websites online|language=en-GB|work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2021/01/18/epik-domain-registrar-keeping-extremist-websites-online/|url-status=live|url-access=subscription|access-date=January 19, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210119154814/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2021/01/18/epik-domain-registrar-keeping-extremist-websites-online/|archive-date=January 19, 2021|issn=0307-1235}}</ref> the same year, ''Fortune'' called the company the "right wing's best friend online".<ref name=":2" /> [[NPR]] reported in February 2021 that "when websites flooded with hate speech or harmful disinformation become too radioactive for the Internet, the sites often turn to [Epik] for a lifeline."<ref name="Allyn-NPR" />
Epik has provided services for websites, platforms, and groups including [[Parler]], [[8chan]], [[Gab (social network)|Gab]], [[BitChute]], [[Patriots.win]], ''[[The Daily Stormer]]'', ''InfoWars, [[One America News Network]],'' [[AR15.com]], [[Kiwi Farms]], the [[Proud Boys]], and the [[Oath Keepers]].{{refn|name="clients-list"|Epik has provided services for:
Line 72:
*Oath Keepers<ref>{{Cite web|last=Hernandez|first=Salvador|date=January 13, 2021|title=A Major Militia Group Said Its Website Was Taken Down Days After It Sent Members To The Capitol Riots|url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/salvadorhernandez/oath-keepers-website-epik-down|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210113231950/https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/salvadorhernandez/oath-keepers-website-epik-down|archive-date=January 13, 2021|access-date=February 6, 2021|website=[[BuzzFeed News]]|language=en|url-status=live}}</ref>}} Bobby Allyn writing for NPR has described the websites Epik services: "Spend a few minutes on these sites, [[Attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election|conspiracy theories about the 2020 presidential election]], [[Vaccine hesitancy|vaccines]] and mass shootings are not hard to find, not to mention a steady stream of bigoted content about Jews, women and people of color."<ref name="Allyn-NPR" />
Epik describes itself as a protector of [[Freedom of speech|free speech]], and its past CEO Rob Monster has defended its decisions to host extremist content as being a part of Epik's commitment to "welcome all views, without bias or preference".<ref name="Hayden" /><ref name="Makuch" /> Monster has said he is repudiating "[[cancel culture]]" and [[Big Tech]].<ref name="Allyn-NPR" /> In May 2019, the [[Counter Extremism Project]]'s Joshua Fisher-Birch criticized Epik for this stance, saying that, "while Epik portrays this as a noble exercise in anti-censorship, they're making a business decision to continue to amplify voices calling for violence."<ref name="Makuch" /> In February 2021, Michael Edison Hayden of the SPLC said that although hate speech can be found throughout the internet, including on mainstream social networks like Facebook and Twitter, "The difference is there are people with terroristic ambitions plotting out in the open, producing propaganda that they seek to use to kind of encourage violence. And those are the kind of websites Rob Monster is willing to pick up."<ref name="Allyn-NPR" />
=== Parler ===
{{see also|Parler}}
In January 2021, the [[alt-tech]] social network [[Parler]] transferred its domain name registration to Epik, following the termination of its hosting and support services by other providers on account of it being "overrun" with [[death threats]] and celebrations of violence.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Binder|first=Matt|title=Parler transfers domain name to Epik, domain registrar of choice for the far right|url=https://mashable.com/article/parler-domain-name-epik/|access-date=2021-01-12|website=Mashable|date=11 January 2021|language=en|archive-date=2021-01-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210111233418/https://mashable.com/article/parler-domain-name-epik/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Greenspan|first1=Rachel E.|title=Parler moves to Epik, a domain registrar known for hosting far-right extremist content|work=Business Insider|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/parler-moves-to-epik-domain-known-for-hosting-far-right-2021-1|access-date=12 January 2021|archive-date=12 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210112165414/https://www.businessinsider.com/parler-moves-to-epik-domain-known-for-hosting-far-right-2021-1|url-status=live}}</ref> According to ''[[Fortune (magazine)|Fortune]]'', Epik provided Parler with advice on running the service, including to add moreadding moderators, improveimproving systems to detect harmful posts, and changechanging their terms of service.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|last=Abril|first=Danielle|date=January 19, 2021|title=Meet Epik, the right-wing's best friend online|url=https://fortune.com/2021/01/19/epik-parler-web-domain-dns-provider-gab-conservatives-social-media/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210119195609/https://fortune.com/2021/01/19/epik-parler-web-domain-dns-provider-gab-conservatives-social-media/|archive-date=January 19, 2021|access-date=January 19, 2021|website=[[Fortune (magazine)|Fortune]]|language=en}}</ref>
===8chan===
Line 98:
=== BitChute ===
{{Main articles|BitChute}}
Epik iswas the domain registrar for the video sharing platform BitChute, which is known for accommodating [[Far-right politics|far-right]] individuals and [[Conspiracy theory|conspiracy theorists]], and for hosting [[Hate speech|hateful content]].<ref name="Hayden" /><ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Martineau|first=Paris|date=6 November 2018|title=How Right-Wing Social Media Site Gab Got Back Online|magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]|url=https://www.wired.com/story/how-right-wing-social-media-site-gab-got-back-online/|url-status=live|access-date=4 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190502214807/https://www.wired.com/story/how-right-wing-social-media-site-gab-got-back-online/|archive-date=2 May 2019|issn=1059-1028}}</ref><ref name="Daro 2019">{{cite news|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/ishmaeldaro/right-wing-youtube-alternative-platforms|title=Right-Wing YouTubers Think It's Only A Matter Of Time Before They Get Kicked Off The Site|last1=Daro|first1=Ishmael N.|date=18 April 2018|work=[[BuzzFeed News]]|access-date=4 May 2019|last2=Lytvynenko|first2=Jane|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180705121420/https://www.buzzfeed.com/ishmaeldaro/right-wing-youtube-alternative-platforms|archive-date=5 July 2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Schroeder 2019">{{Cite web|url=https://www.dailydot.com/upstream/bitchute/|title=Far-right conspiracy vloggers have a new home|last=Schroeder|first=Audra|date=2 November 2018|website=[[The Daily Dot]]|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190504054532/https://www.dailydot.com/upstream/bitchute/|archive-date=4 May 2019|url-status=live|access-date=4 May 2019}}</ref><ref name="Tani 2017">{{Cite news|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/far-right-tech-platforms-gab-youtube-bitchute-2017-9?r=US&IR=T|title='There's no one for right-wingers to pick a fight with': The far right is struggling to sustain interest in its social media platforms|last=Tani|first=Maxwell|date=22 September 2017|work=[[Business Insider]]|access-date=10 December 2017|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171208231540/http://uk.businessinsider.com/far-right-tech-platforms-gab-youtube-bitchute-2017-9?r=US&IR=T|archive-date=8 December 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>
===Lack of response to reports of alleged illegal activity===
|