Gab, the “free speech alternative” to Twitter, has been given five days’ notice to move its domain to another service provider or risk being taken down.
In an announcement on Twitter and Gab, the ad-free social news website “for creators who believe in free speech, individual liberty and the free flow of information online” revealed today that they were given short notice to move to another domain service for allegedly breaking laws in Australia.
In an email from the “Asia Registry Legal Team” from Asiaregistry.com, which hosts Gab’s registration, the company was notified of allegedly violating the Australian company’s abuse policy by hosting content that broke Australian anti-discrimination laws.
“Asia Registry is an Australian company, and the website at <gab.ai> violates Australian federal and state anti-discrimination laws, which prohibit public vilification on the basis of race, religion, or ethnic origin. Asia Registry’s Abuse Policy specifically prohibits use of a domain name in a manner that is discriminatory or hateful.”
Gab protested the notice, stating that “the free and open web is in danger,” and urged its users to register their disapproval of Asia Registry’s actions against them by linking through the company’s contact page.
The company speculates that Asia Registry’s attempt to seize the domain may have had something to do with their newly announced lawsuit against Google. Gab is suing Google for banning its app from the Google Play Store.
Due to its lax stance on moderation, Gab is accused of harboring white supremacist and racist content, and some members of the media consider the website a bastion of racism as a result of this stance. However, many high-profile members of the alt-right including Richard Spencer and KKK founder David Duke remain on Twitter.
Ian Miles Cheong is a journalist and outspoken media critic. You can reach him through social media at @stillgray on Twitter and on Facebook.