8chan: the "Internet refuge" of white supremacists worldwide

The three had among their objectives ethnic minorities (Muslims, Jews and Latinos respectively).

In the case of the first two tragedies, those now charged with murder – Brenton Tarrant and John T. Earnest – shared two texts in which they summarized several of the most common theories of white supremacism. This is also the document that the US media has attributed to Patrick Crusius, the suspect of the Walmart mbadacre.

The three manifestos were also published on the same platform: the 8chan digital site.

The page, a kind of social network, has for years been an area of ​​freedom for right-wing nationalist groups, given the limited moderation and censorship of the information "tables" that compose it.

But the fact that the site has apparently also become a platform for at least three of the mbad shootings of the past six months has also focused on the functioning of this type of social network.

In fact, Cloudfare, the San Francisco-based company that offers the Internet infrastructure at 8chan, has announced that it will cut the connection that allows the site to be online starting Sunday.

"The reason is simple: they have shown no respect for the law and the lack of order has resulted in many deaths," the California communications company said in a statement.

The site has been interrogated several times for hosting content ranging from the most disparate conspiracy theories to groups promoting "white identity" or messages against ethnic minorities.

And although, after the attacks in Christchurch and California, several voices were raised against the site, it is only during the shooting in El Paso that critics seem to go further.

The drop that overflowed the cup

At least 20 people died and 26 others were injured during the shootings at a Texas store, and US media attributed to the alleged perpetrator, a 21-year-old white man, having published a "manifesto" shortly before "the invasion". Hispanic "in the social network.

In fact, on Saturday, several 8chan users commented on the "effectiveness" of the tragedy or made fun of the number of deaths or their ethnicity, according to several media in the United States.

For the moment, without Cloudfare's Internet provision, the page could disappear.

8Chan has not yet commented on attacks or accusations made by various media outlets in the United States.

But Sunday, I had already removed the text from the top of the homepage stating "Welcome to 8chan, the darkest internet extension."

A little known social network

Created in 2013 by Fredrick Brennan – a computer scientist who has defended eugenics and then left the platform – 8chan is a website where its users can create and moderate their "tips" on topics ranging from l & # 39; animation to politics or video games.

Almost everyone participates anonymously and the only rule is to not publish content considered illegal in the United States, such as child badgraphy.

But according to experts from "hate groups", the platform has almost become a virtual meeting place for white nationalists since its inception and has become a gathering place for speeches of intolerance.

As Brennan told The American New York Times on Sunday, he created it as a "utopia of free speech", but he eventually became a "megaphone" for the attackers.

"(The platform) does not do any good in the world.It's totally negative for everyone, with the exception of the users who are there.And you know what? It's also negative for them, they simply do not realize it, "he said.

Jim Watkins, a veteran of the US military living in the Philippines, is the current owner of the site. And Brennan says that he has repeatedly insisted on closing it.

The page also encountered the very opposition of Internet search engines.

Google, for example, has removed it from its search results for violating its rules, although the site is not hard to find for those who know it.

You also have a verified Twitter account.

Several governments and Internet service providers have blocked it recently, as has happened temporarily in New Zealand and Australia after the Christchurch mbadacre.

Other controversies

The popularity of 8chan among the supremacist groups began to grow from 2014, when thousands of 4chan users, their sister social network, emigrated by banning a misogynist harbadment campaign called Gamergate.

Since then, it has been controversial.

For example, on several occasions, its users used the platform to deceive the emergency services and sent a police intervention team to a given address without incident.

This is a strategy known as swatting, referring to SWATs, the special units of security forces that use military equipment and tactics.

It has also given way to the controversial QAnon conspiracy theory group, in which Trump fights pedophilia and "deep state".

It was also one of the platforms used by white supremacists who marched in 2017 with flaming lights and Nazi symbols Friday in Charlottesville, Virginia, while singing slogans against the Jews.

However, the biggest controversy erupted after the attacker of the New Zealand mosque also issued his "manifesto" in 8chans.

A month later, the attacker of a synagogue in California would apparently publish an "open letter" in this country.

After the attack from El Paso, the creator of the platform did not seem surprised that it was used again to broadcast a new alleged manifesto before a new shootout.

Although he also regrets his own creation.

"Another shoot for 8chan, can I ever change my life?", He writes on Twitter.

BBC