Social Network Gab.com being threatened by GoDaddy: 24 hours to transfer or suspension

[domainguy50]

backstory: Gab is a social network alternative to twitter. their selling point is free speech (all speech is welcome, including what you believe might be hate speech.) which is basically is the first amendment. no unlawful material is allowed, but virtually any speech is. recently they purchased the "gab com" domain for $220k.

this site is very controversial as a result, with mainstream media outlets claiming it is popular with nazi and anti-semite messages. the site has 800,000 users and has experienced modest growth recently so it really isnt all bad hate speech. regardless, those disgusting messages on the site by some users are also lawful no matter how distasteful they are. as a result of these media attacks, (and the recent revelation that the synagogue shooter in pittsburgh yesterday had an active gab profile) gab is being unfairly targeted by smear campaigns online reporting the site as "a hate speech site" via email to gab's service providers.

gabs host (microsoft) revoked its contract with gab a few months ago

gabs payment providers (paypal and stripe) just revoked their services

just a few minutes ago, godaddy has said they will stop working with gab:
(i cant post the image or link idk why)
"BREAKING: Godaddy is threatening to suspend our domain (which is worth six figures) if we do not transfer to a new provider by tomorrow. This is madness."

the complexity of the situation is compounded by the fact that Gab is on a payment plan to fully own the domain since they recently purchased it. the broker/escrow agent control this which makes it even more difficult for the company to transfer to a new registrar by EOD tomorrow.

I understand that Godaddy is a private business and its clauses may allow it to do this, but this seems extreme overreaction. "24 hours to transfer or else" is a very menacing way of doing business.

-if you were in charge of gab what would you do? create your own payment processor, host, and DNS? they got deplatformed quickly... i guess they could try to get an offshore Hosting company or invest in native hosting.

-what is the most "free speech" friendly DNS provider there is?

-is it fair for internet infrastructure companies to de-platform a small upstart social network because of controversial speech? or should companies like DNS and hosting should be regulated and allow any customer as long as it is lawful content being hosted.

 

[Rob Monster]

So you are trying to benefit from the controversy and offer home for a breeding ground terrorists and supremacists?

I am a Bible-believing Christian. Some people think that means that I am crazy. Some people think that means I promote hate speech. Well, I am not crazy and I love everyone. See related thread:

https://www.namepros.com/threads/do-you-judge-people-by-their-domains.1105583/

I was looking on their Archive site and am struggling to find this evil content.

Google Docs, Google Drive and Google hangouts are no doubt being used for propagating similar content. Check this out:

https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=neonazi

Should we shut down Google too? Oh, that's right, we can't. Why? Because they are their own registrar and their own host although for the moment they still use MarkMonitor for their domain.

If you really think anyone will shut down alternative media, it cannot be done. It will find another way and that way is likely Blockchain. If you want domains to matter for more than another 10 years, let freedom ring.

 

[bmugford]

It is not just individuals that have free speech, a private company can also choose who they do business with.
I don't blame these companies for not wanting to be associated with hate speech. It is not good for their brand.

I do have more of an issue with the (24) hour time frame GoDaddy gave. That really is not a reasonable time frame.
I would love to be able to demand GoDaddy fix some issue in the same time frame.

Brad

 

[NYJimbo]

Gab is a haven for hate speech against the left, blatant racism, antisemitism and baseless bizarre conspiracy theories. Glad to see them go.

I see you are a "new user". Are you afraid to use your regular account to speak your mind ?

 

[Paul]

If you're stopping by NamePros just to comment in this thread, welcome! While we're strong proponents of freedom of speech, we do expect you to present your opinions in a civil, professional manner, as this is a forum meant for industry professionals.

 

[Rob Monster]

For awareness, after extensive discussion with the CEO of Gab.com, we have accepted their domain registration at Epik and will make a best effort to keep them online while also coaching the CEO, Andrew, on how to navigate the waters as a responsible advocate for natural law within the boundaries of national law.

I commented further on this decision here:

https://epik.com/blog/why-epik-welcomed-gab-com.html

Let Freedom Ring.

 

[~ The 34 Year Buzz!!]

Maybe, but I will gladly help shut down anyone trying to spew hate speech. These websites are directly responsible for so much of the hate you hear in todays society. I will not stand up for anyones rights spew hate.
...

Freedom isn't always pretty, but at least you are free. When you try to ban "bad stuff" and push it underground it tends to get worse. If you let them be idiots in public, sometimes they turn into decent human beings because they are exposed to people outside of their underground hate group.

 

[Rob Monster]

The Archived site is here:

https://web.archive.org/web/20181028220903/https://gab.com/

As near as I can tell, this does not seem to be a site overtly promoting hateful content. It seems more like a Reddit free for all.

I believe that one of the great challenges for registrars in the coming years will be to maintain a framework for digital sovereignty, particularly as the global control grid moves to silence competing narratives.

The stakeholders in the registrar and hosting industry should be careful to judge prematurely. Winner take all, including in the marketplace for ideas and narrative, is not a good thing for the domain industry.

One thing is clear from their financial statements, and that is that their motivation does not appear to be financial as they have a pretty lousy business model:

https://web.archive.org/web/2018102...70924418000001/GAB_-_Annual_Report_-_2018.pdf

We'll see how this plays out, but GoDaddy's actions are consistent with past actions and endorsement and PIPA and SOPA. How quickly people forget.

 

[Rob Monster]

Can't edit my post, this was the tweet about it:

https://twitter.com/EyesOnTheRight/status/1058818220679933953

Twitter - free market research. 48 retweets already. I don't think any legit PR advisor would be ok with it. Ultimately, your choice.

Thanks for the heads-up. I guess it rattled some cages.

That image at the end relates really to this quote:

First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

-- Pastor Martin Niemöller

I do believe much is at stake. I am not wedded to the choice of image.

 

[Domain Shane]

As for status as "public figure", I am humble enough to put truth and liberty ahead of personal prosperity or social acceptance. This is not the act of a reckless man but rather the act of someone with an eternal perspective who values truth and considers the search for truth to be a core goal of life well lived.

The Internet has been an enormous blessing to me personally. Once you acknowledge that life is not an accident, and that creation is not random, it becomes obvious that temporal rewards are of no great consequence, and that includes the fleeting plaudits (and the critiques) of others.

The Twitter exchange on Sunday was the result of a personal Twitter attack by 2 biased Twitter users who are affiliated with the incredibly biased SPLC, one of whom authored a highly defamatory and inaccurate hatewatch article about me. I replied from my personal Twitter, which I have since deleted.

As for the video itself, the part that troubled me was the discovery of material inconsistencies. Since important policies are being determined by the official narrative, it warrants discernment. Here is a 90 second video that has since been excised from YouTube that illustrates the point. It is not gruesome.

As for those members of the domain community who have taken the opportunity this week to rebuke me for allowing free speech to continue on the Internet, please know that I am neither seeking publicity or controversy. I am of sound mind. I am not a Nazi, an anti-semite, a homophobe, a misogynist, a bigot, or a racist. I believe love and understanding will overcome hate and divisiveness.

The future of the domain industry is being determined in 2019. Censorship, WHOIS privacy, sinkholing, DDoS, deplatforming, demonetization, unpersoning, are all symptoms of the disease which is a relentless desire by the few to dictate the narratives and choices to be consumed by the many.

I leave you with a very fine quote from Thomas Paine that seems apt today though it was written in 1776:

“THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated”

Blessings to all who read this thread. Hopefully it is never censored.

Rob,
Do me a favor. Rather than use your Freedom of Speech mantra for only one side, amplify the voices of those that represent the other side. Amplify the hidden videos of young black youth getting shot in the back by police. Amplify the voice of anyone on the left that is being buried by the news organizations or the perpetrators themselves. Freedom of speech is broad but you have made it political and chosen a side. Not ONCE have you defended someone of color or left leaning. Because you can't get past your beliefs and truly defend what you claim is your reasoning.

You are a conspiracy theorist that thinks the Moon Landing, JFK, and the recent shootings are hoaxes. In short, you have an agenda. It is an agenda for all to see. You have every right to that agenda. But you are dragging your hard working employees and investors down with your agenda. I feel terrible for them and they are disappointed in your actions. I know for a fact that they have told you the same

I want to remind you that you are not a martyr. Your loss of business is not for a cause, it is from stupidity.

 

[Rob Monster]

Update on the Hot Potato. The domain landed at Uni:

Domain Name: GAB.COM
Registry Domain ID: 4274190_DOMAIN_COM-VRSN
Registrar WHOIS Server: whois.uniregistrar.net
Registrar URL: http://uniregistry.com
Updated Date: 2018-10-30-T23:14:00Z
Creation Date: 1998-12-08-T05:00:00Z
Registrar Registration Expiration Date: 2022-12-07-T05:00:00Z
Registrar: UNIREGISTRAR CORP
Registrar IANA ID: 1659
Registrar Abuse Contact Email: [email protected]

 

[Arfy]

The main issue I see is this. Freedom of speech is acceptable when it is about specific groups, cultures and religions. However, when the exact same speech is made against other specific groups it is referred to as hate speech. The reason for the imbalance of rights and safeguards is directly related to the imbalance of power. The few who have power and control of the many, also control what is written about them and what is allowed to be said about them but will not quash the same said about others. In fact, they encourage it.

If Gab is shut down, so should Twitter, Facebook, Google and others as there is a huge amount of hate speech on there. I am not supporting Gab, I have never used them or heard of them until a few days ago. But what I AM saying is that I oppose the fact that there are rules in place that do not apply to everybody. Either have 1 rule for all or no rules at all! Maybe this was what gab was doing -- having no rules at all, a level playing field. Anyway, I haven't been on the platform so it is hard for me to judge for myself how bad it was on there.

I would love to see power diffused from the monopolistic organisations who control what we can see, read and say (basically learn and think for ourselves) and instead redistributed to everybody. I believe the blockchain could be the key to freedom for all.

 

[jberryhill]

Uni is offshore, that must have been a criterion. To some extent, they are moving away from US jurisdiction.

Which may turn out to be a very bad decision for them. Why would moving away from US jurisdiction be a good idea in these circumstances?

I'm not sure where people get the idea that Cayman is some lawless jurisdiction. It is not. People come down looking for nude beaches and casinos, and are shocked to discover that not only are such things not allowed, but you can't even buy groceries on Sunday.

"Moving away from US jurisdiction" places them well outside of the First Amendment to the US Constitution, and it would behoove Escrow.com, and their customer, to consider Cayman Penal Code Sections 88A, 88B and 125 in particular.

Where a TOS refers to the "applicable law", it is a good idea to find out what that applicable law may be.

Escrow.com is financially responsible for the decisions they make on behalf of their customers, and will be financially liable to their customers in the event they have made a bad decision here.

For an "escrow" provider to have deliberately made an irresponsible decision to place an escrowed asset at legal risk, knowing full well that laws abroad can be very different from US laws, would be quite a negligent thing for an escrow provider to have done. One would imagine their customers here would be quite disappointed in the event this turns out to have been as poor a decision on their part as it appears to be.

 

[Rob Monster]

I have a technical question here. How exactly were they able to circumvent the (60) day lock when a domain changes registrars? When the domain was moved from GoDaddy to Uniregistry that should have triggered the 60 day ICANN mandated lock, but then it was able to be quickly moved to Epik.

Brad

Registrars can override the 60 day lock for domains more than 60 days old.

 

[NYJimbo]

theres blatant racism on every website including twitter and youtube comments but i still dont believe those websites deserve to be de-platformed by critical internet infrastructure companies. that really wasnt any of my questions either but thanks for your response.

Because your post isnt sincere, you are defending them and spinning them as just a "social network". Some of the worst people use that service to spew hate. They could have cleaned it up, but they know that they only exist because of all the things I mentioned.

Stormfront, Infowars, GAB and a few others are what fuels these domestic terrorists.

 

[lennco]

Its always funny when some people preach Freedom of Speech they believe you can Speak Freely Anywhere...lol

That is not the case.
Lets say you came over to my house and starting talking how much you hated any one race and I was offended, I have the right to tell you to get the hell out of my house. I don't have to hear your racist crap in my house.
Why? Because its my house, not your house and my rules in my house overrule your right to free speech in my house.

The same applies to someones business.
They can set the rules on how to use their business.
If a site like Gab allows you to say whatever you want on their platform then fine.

But then Gab has to endure whatever consequences their business partners and/or sponsors want to impose.
If their partners and/or sponsors want to cut ties with Gab because they deem what is said on Gab is wrong then they have the right to cut ties and walk away or tell Gab if you want to continue working with us you must abide by our rules.

Freedom of Speech isn't the only right we have here in America.

 

[bmugford]

just curious- Whats your position of the supreme court case where the christian baker refused to bake the cake of a homosexual couple?

Im actually Curious of the position of everyone in this thread on that court case

This case comes to mind right away if you take the position that private businesses can do business with who they choose to.

My personal opinion is any company can serve who they want, but their policies have to be publicly posted.
They have to take ownership of their position, not be secretly racist, sexist, etc.

Then as a consumer I could more accurately decide if I wanted to do business with a company that has openly exclusionary policies.

With that said, I think this really applies only to non-essential services. If you provide an essential service like in the medical field, I think the bar is far higher to reject a customer. For instance a hospital should not be able to reject life or death treatment because you are gay, or a member of a certain group, etc.

Brad

 

[Rob Monster]

First, OFF topic:

I somewhat agree. Still there are some differences between 9/11 and JFK, compared to the Christchurch terror attack. 9/11 and the JFK murder was televised live. I am not pro censorship, but this is not an easy topic. What about a school shooting video showing (our own?) children are being executed. Via a GoPro cam? Would we like it to be seen by millions?

If this Christchurch video is to be found somewhere on the “darker side” on the internet, ok, fine. Not much to do. Still, I have no problems whatsoever that social media platforms are banning it. In my opinion this kind of censorship is neither communism or fascism, but common sense. We are not allowed to watch some disgusting child abuse either, for a damn good reason.

Ok, now ON topic:

You are probably getting this criticism because people probably supposed that you made these statements as a “public figure”, or more specifically, CEO of Epik. Not an average Joe. We are maybe wrong, but still people are making this connection.

Ps. The young women killed in Morocco where Norwegian and Danish.

As for status as "public figure", I am humble enough to put truth and liberty ahead of personal prosperity or social acceptance. This is not the act of a reckless man but rather the act of someone with an eternal perspective who values truth and considers the search for truth to be a core goal of life well lived.

The Internet has been an enormous blessing to me personally. Once you acknowledge that life is not an accident, and that creation is not random, it becomes obvious that temporal rewards are of no great consequence, and that includes the fleeting plaudits (and the critiques) of others.

The Twitter exchange on Sunday was the result of a personal Twitter attack by 2 biased Twitter users who are affiliated with the incredibly biased SPLC, one of whom authored a highly defamatory and inaccurate hatewatch article about me. I replied from my personal Twitter, which I have since deleted.

As for the video itself, the part that troubled me was the discovery of material inconsistencies. Since important policies are being determined by the official narrative, it warrants discernment. Here is a 90 second video that has since been excised from YouTube that illustrates the point. It is not gruesome.

As for those members of the domain community who have taken the opportunity this week to rebuke me for allowing free speech to continue on the Internet, please know that I am neither seeking publicity or controversy. I am of sound mind. I am not a Nazi, an anti-semite, a homophobe, a misogynist, a bigot, or a racist. I believe love and understanding will overcome hate and divisiveness.

The future of the domain industry is being determined in 2019. Censorship, WHOIS privacy, sinkholing, DDoS, deplatforming, demonetization, unpersoning, are all symptoms of the disease which is a relentless desire by the few to dictate the narratives and choices to be consumed by the many.

I leave you with a very fine quote from Thomas Paine that seems apt today though it was written in 1776:

“THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated”

Blessings to all who read this thread. Hopefully it is never censored.

 

[Bernard Wright]

The MSM and social media are echo chambers for the left. Balance needs to be restored to the public discourse. Banning safe havens of free speech, such as Gab (the original topic of this thread), is the furthering of the leftist agenda in a direction that has a dangerous amount of momentum. Freedom of speech must be preserved, else voices of dissent become frustrated in their imposed silence.

Ever been in a relationship? Married, perhaps? Imagine every time you were engaged in an argument with your partner, they were able to mute you completely silent. Or even more, they were able to kick you out of the house until they felt like letting you back in, if they ever did. Divorce is the only solution in such case. I beleive it is people like Rob who are keeping the marriage of society from unraveling into a violent divorce.

Open discourse is vital. I don't think anyone, Rob included, should ever be expected to share an opinion with me, or you. We all have our own perspectives on things. I'm not going to tell you who to support or what to endorse.

Nobody has the right to impose their opinions or beliefs on others. We can engage in dialogue, and perhaps that will affect attitudes and beliefs. I will again defend Rob's stance in declaring his support for an open market of ideas, even if he holds ideas that are different from my own.

 

[Internet.Domains]

For sake of public debate, please refrain from personal attacks due to beliefs. After all, that's why we are discussing this.

 

[frank-germany]

what did I learn so far?

have each of those:
-domain
-hosting
-escrow

separate
- always

get domains you need out of godaddy
as you may not be aware of a problem in relation to their TOS
and lose a domain you need
( I have heard similar stories to often and it has always been GoDaddy terminating a domain)

free speech is not what you may think it is
as freedom ends where the freedom of another person starts

 

[Rob Monster]

quote:
"Mike Mann‏ @mikemanndotcom Nov 9

The semantic anti semitic web of monsters. A monstrosity. City by city. Let me guess the Jewish DA didn't appreciate our German domainer friend Rob Monster hosting all that illegal anti-Jewish and other hate speech (Epik hosting Gab), plus other horrific materials from criminals?"


@Rob Monster

well I guess The Netherlands are pretty close to germany
but does that make you a real german?

and are you really hosting gab.com???

First of all, we are only the registrar. We are not hosting Gab's website nor are we the DNS provider.

Second, I believe hate and misanthropy of a small minority can be overcome through love and prayer from the many. There is a strong and active Christian core there. The community is constructively engaging the dialog. You can see it here. I created a username there for the first time last Monday, and am mainly engaged in the faith channel.

As for how some members of the media and the radical left on Twitter have attempted to characterize me as some kind far-right anti-semite, it is obviously bunk. I am conservative on economic issues and progressive on social issues, pro-choice (it is free will). I love everyone including the Jews and even those who might not like me. I grew in Jewish neighborhood. Last year, I was in Israel for a week.

As for my background, my family is Dutch. I think the Monster family emigrated from Germany in the 1200's to the Dutch coast. There is a town there called Monster. My family fought against the Nazis in WWII. My Grandfather harbored allied paratroopers who arrived in northern Holland by night. In case you are wondering, the penalty for being caught doing this was execution.

 

[Chris Hydrick]

Show attachment 105367
God is not impressed..

... and this relates to Gab / GoDaddy / General Domain Discussion how?

That comment is his opinion. Unless I'm missing something, I don't see how that pertains to domains, or even this thread in general.

(IMO) Posting that comment in this thread is off topic at best, and at worst it's simple minded weak ass ain't got no business here trolling...

 

[Fancy.domains]

Seems like this has caused a lot of controversy. I can understand that.

Ps. I’ve learned on thing, especially after the Oslo / Utøya attack, and that is to keep calm moments after a terror attack, until you really know what is going on. Also, I personally think that you are kind of insulting the victims and their families, by suggesting that this should be a hoax.

 

[Bernard Wright]

The internet is inherently political. Is it not the most politically relevant phenomenon of our time? The internet is Rob's business and Rob's stance is strongly aligned with the principles on which the nation in which I live was founded. This is a rare stance for those in his position, and I commend him on his steadfast commitment to free speech.

Free speech is not important to all. It is very important to me. That is why, after two years of living in Thailand myself, as you now do, I am proud to have returned to the US, where the battle wages on, and where I believe people who share my opinions are most needed. It is very good to know that Rob is one of those people. I don't know where your home country is, but I can speak from experience when I say that topics such as this carry much more gravity when one is living inside of it.