The platform has been criticized for hosting hateful and violent speeches, so it has – like Parler – been banned from most major technology companies that act as gateways to the Internet. Because of this, Gab had some difficulty keeping his platform running smoothly during the recent traffic flow.
Parler appears to be close to returning online, after being launched on Amazon Web Services on January 10. The website on Sunday night featured a message from Parler’s CEO, John Matze, in which he stated: “We will resolve any challenge before us and plan to get them back soon. We will not let civil speech perish!”
Gab, founded in 2016, calls itself the “social network of freedom of expression” with the mission of “defending, protecting and preserving freedom of expression online for all people”, as described on its website.
The platform looks like a mix of Twitter (TWTR) and Facebook (FB) and users can post what is charged as “gabs” of a maximum of 300 characters. But, unlike the major social media networks, Gab offers virtually no moderation of the content that users post.
Gab also has a pro-subscription layer, a merchandise store, and his own “Dissenter” browser extension, which creates his own comment system.
“We believe that the future of online publishing is decentralized and open,” says the platform’s website. “We believe that social media users should be able to control their social media experience on their own terms, rather than the terms set by Big Tech.”
In April 2020, Gab reported 1,157,000 accumulated registered accounts and 3.7 million monthly visitors worldwide, according to an annual report by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Why is it controversial?
Gab’s loose approach to content paved the way for a series of QAnon conspiracy theories, misinformation and anti-Semitic comments on the platform, among many vile hatred and racist posts – many of which would not be allowed in today’s well-known social apps (though conventional social networks also have their own problems to moderate extremism).
One exception: Gab blocks posts that involve “illegal activity, threats of violence, doxxing, pornography, child exploitation and spam”, which, says Gab, takes steps to “prevent and remove”.
The controversial messaging app is also home to some prominent conservative voices, such as Richard Spencer and Alex Jones, some of whom have been banned from more conventional social media platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter.
After Twitter banned President Trump, White House officials thought about getting an account for the president at Gab. That is, until Jared Kushner rejected this idea because of the anti-Semitic speech on the net.
Why is it banned?
Gab drew public scrutiny for the first time in 2018, after the discovery that the suspected shooter in the Pittsburgh synagogue used the network to threaten and attack Jews. The suspect’s profile carried the message: “I can’t sit and watch my people being slaughtered.
Gab noted in a statement in 2018, that “unequivocally repudiates and condemns all acts of terrorism and violence.” He also said he suspended the account and contacted the FBI.
He was forced to go offline, after the shooting, after being banned by online payment processors, PayPal (PYPL) and Stripe, along with domain registrar GoDaddy and website hosting service Joylent on hate speech violations.
Despite attempts by major technology companies to shut down the network, Gab has managed to stay online. Their website is now under a different domain registrar, Epik, which hosted the platform in 2018.
Who owns Gab?
Gab was founded by Andrew Torba, a Trump-supporting businessman, who describes himself as a “conservative Republican Christian”. Torba, who used to work in Silicon Valley, created the alternative network in response to reports that social platforms like Facebook tended against conservatives.
“I didn’t plan on building a ‘conservative social network’ in any way, but I felt it was time for a conservative leader to come forward and provide a forum where anyone can come and speak freely without fear of censorship,” Torba told the Washington Post in 2016.
“All major media, all major social networks are managed, owned, controlled and operated by progressive leaders, progressive workers in Silicon Valley,” he told the Post.
What’s next for Gab?
Gab is now facing a call from the Anti-Defamation League for a criminal investigation to determine whether the platform “intentionally helped, conspired or directed” those who attacked the Capitol on January 6.
The anti-hate group noted in an open letter on Wednesday that there was at least one report that Gab users exchanged “instructions on which streets to take to avoid the police and what tools to use to help open doors”.
ADL also cited Torba’s posts telling users “going to DC” to “record images in landscape mode while filming” and “document as much as they can”. In addition, he cites Torba’s post on the day of the attack, in which he says: “in a system with fraudulent elections, there are no longer viable political solutions”.
In response, Gab called for an investigation on Facebook, where protests were organized. The company also said it put an “immediate end to a series of newly created accounts that threatened violence against public officials”.
“We worked diligently on law enforcement and spent several weeks alerting our community to this behavior and acting quickly to remove it from our platform in the weeks before the January 6 protest,” said Torba in a statement. “Our moderation and legal teams work tirelessly to ensure public safety. Threats of violence and illegal activities have no place in Gab.”
Gab says the ADL is targeting him because, unlike Parler, Gab remains active and functioning. In a statement to CNN, Torba said the hate speech “is not real” and is protected by the First Amendment to the US Constitution.
“ADL HAS NO POWER over Gab, which is why they hate us,” said Torba. “We will never bow to your demands and we will never censor the legal and protected speech by 1A that hurts the feelings of the ADL. Never. Jesus is the king.”
