Discord, the popular messaging and voice service for video gamers, has shut down the altright.com server and “a number of” user accounts connected to the events in Charlottesville.
The company released a brief statement on Twitter today announcing that their decision to terminate the server and users tied to the movement was precipitated by the events in Charlottesville this weekend, which saw violence between white nationalists and anti-fascist activists.
On Saturday, one woman, Heather Heyer, was killed when a suspected white nationalist drove his car into a group of people gathering to protest the Unite The Right march against the planned removal of a Confederate statue.
The rally was organized by groups affiliated to the white nationalist alt-right movement. Richard Spencer, the founder and editor of altright.com, participated in the Unite The Right protest as one of its leaders.
“Discord’s mission is to bring people together around gaming,” Discord declared on Twitter. “We’re about positivity and inclusivity. Not Hate. Not violence.”
“Today, we’ve shut down the altright.com server and a number of accounts associated with the events in Charlottesville,” it continued. “We will continue to take action against white supremacy, nazi ideology, and all forms of hate.”
The company met with criticism, with some stating that shutting down the opinions of the alt-right was the opposite of inclusivity.
Discord replied: “Discord does not read people’s private conversations and censorship is a slippery slope. We will take action when people violate our Guidelines/ToS, and actively endorse violence against others.”
Questioned on whether it would take action against ISIS, far-left, Antifa or Black Lives Matter activists who urge violence, Discord was quick to respond that it will take action against any servers that violate the service’s guidelines and terms of service. It urged users to report any such violations to its email address.
The company says it is investigating the Daily Stormer’s Discord server following a report by Rebel Media’s Laura Loomer, who pointed out that a Daily Stormer member was planning to bring weapons to Heather Heyer’s funeral.
Ian Miles Cheong is a journalist and outspoken media critic. You can reach him through social media at @stillgray on Twitter and on Facebook.