13 Comments
User's avatar
pandaexplosion's avatar

very impressed with your approach to substack, particularly the bit about sharing findings with stripe.

Expand full comment
Jesse J. Anderson's avatar

Yes, I moved my own newsletter (extrafocus.com) off of Substack and have unfollowed dozens more.

I've cancelled some of my paid subscriptions, and will likely cancel the rest in the next month or so (giving some of my favorite publications, like The Platformer, a chance to arrange moving somewhere else).

Sadly, I have little faith in Substack changing their ways. This latest news was not entirely unexpected given some other past comments and behavior.

Expand full comment
Darren's avatar

I will absolutely stop using Substack altogether if it doesn't change its stances here.

Expand full comment
Stuart McDonald's avatar

Smart move going to Stripe. Bravo.

Expand full comment
Geoff Anderson's avatar

Great on your approach to nazis on Substack

Also great tweet by Molly White. She’s the best!

Expand full comment
Jill Consor Beck's avatar

Nice work on calling out hypocrisy of Substack. Hopefully your work to date will help put pressure on Substack and Stripe.

Expand full comment
Ben Klaus's avatar

I wouldn’t consider unsubscribing from Platformer at this point since you’re doing your best to change the views of the platform. I deleted my Twitter account because it was the platform itself that was the problem. It wouldn’t have made sense to just unfollow other users.

Expand full comment
Bryan Sean McKown's avatar

Correct Ben, NO it does not make sense. Substack's business model is to encourage discourse many, many voices. Substack Inc does have a 2023 Terms of Use (TOU). I use the "Report" function not only to report "hate" speech but, also thinly disguised "advertising" & thread disruptions. Note carefully the objectionable categories of 3rd party tactics are CONTRACTUALLY defined. Every "Reader" can do something about it. This is the digital world we live in as of 2024. Laws are changing but, we have a contract at Substack.

Expand full comment
Sascha Pallenberg's avatar

thank you, Zoe and Casey. I'm also looking at some options if Substack won't change their position towards the hosting and monetization of Neonazi content!

Expand full comment
Bryan Sean McKown's avatar

I have skirmished with Substack Inc & counsel on its 2023 Terms of Use (TOU) not limited to "content moderation" issues. But, including Califiania tort law such as defamnation & "Right of Privacy" as recently expanded by case law to include a new type of "false light" in 2023 into the New Year.

Substack Inc's contract with paid Subscribers includes an ADR clause with JAMS San Francisco which is fine with me having completed 20 matters at JAMS since 1990.

When push came to shove Substack Inc sought immunity for hosting 3rd Party content just like Google & META did recently at SCOTUS.

Many cases are pending throughout US Courts. As I see it, "Iceberg Dead Ahead".

Expand full comment
Michael Borum's avatar

I will be moving the modest, unmonetized newsletter I manage on Substack to another provider as soon as possible.

Expand full comment
Curtis McHale's avatar

I already unsubscribed which means I will not renew as long as Platformer is on Substack and as long as Substack allows racist/Nazi's to use the platform. I said as much to every Substack I unsubscribed from (about 15).

If substack does reverse course and stand against this type of vile content then I'll reevaluate because I like the content.

Expand full comment
Calvyn's avatar

Thank you for sharing your insight on that topic and you point of view with regards to it.

Information is important and how we get it can be just as important too

Expand full comment