Backlash grows over Substack permitting extremist speech, Nazi content

Popular online publishing platform Substack is facing backlash over its decision to continue allowing Nazi literature on its site.

The company announced last month that it would not block extremist speech or hate symbols from the independent journalism, blogging and newsletter hub as long as writers don’t incite violence.

On Thursday, one of the site’s top newsletters, Platformer, warned that it is considering leaving Substack over its position, writing that the fast-growing platform should adopt policies like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, which prohibit the monetization of hate speech.

The issue came to the forefront when The Atlantic published a November piece alleging the site “has a Nazi problem,” and detailing how it paid substantial sums of money to people like white supremacist Richard Spencer.

Other newsletters have also threatened to withdraw from Substack — which allows content creators to pocket 90% of profits made on the site, over its policy in recent weeks, NBC News reported.

Substack co-founder Hamish McKenzie clarified in his December statement that the platform is committed to protecting “individual rights and civil liberties” while promoting open discourse.