Substackers Against Nazis

A collective letter to Substack leadership

Note to H.A.T.T.E.R.s everywhere: today I am participating in a group initiative to protest the platforming and monetization of Nazis and, by extension, all purveyors of hateful ideas and activities that directly or indirectly espouse racism, discrimination and extreme solutions to sow fear, violence and misery against people based on skin colour, ethnic backgrounds, religious beliefs, sexuality and gender identity, etc. I do not see a place for these ways of thinking and acting in the 21st century.

Individual countries have differences of opinion on how hate speech should be regulated. The US in particular has chosen to not make hate speech a punishable offence by law in many cases, or so I understand. I don’t believe that this approach fully takes into account the impact of hate speech on minorities or marginalized groups who often lack the resources and support to fully protect themselves.

I realize that this type of post is not what you might normally expect as a reader of this newsletter but I feel this topic needs to be discussed and this gives you an indication of my thoughts and beliefs on the topic. As a writer and publisher on the Substack platform I would like Substack’s leadership to comment on this concern and clarify their position, especially if Substack is earning revenue through the publication of Nazi or Nazi-like content by Substack publishers.

Thanks as always for your time and attention. - Mark D.

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Dear Chris, Hamish & Jairaj:

We’re asking a very simple question that has somehow been made complicated: Why are you platforming and monetizing Nazis?

According to a piece written by Substack publisher Jonathan M. Katz and published by The Atlantic on November 28, this platform has a Nazi problem:

“Some Substack newsletters by Nazis and white nationalists have thousands or tens of thousands of subscribers, making the platform a new and valuable tool for creating mailing lists for the far right. And many accept paid subscriptions through Substack, seemingly flouting terms of service that ban attempts to ‘publish content or fund initiatives that incite violence based on protected classes’...Substack, which takes a 10 percent cut of subscription revenue, makes money when readers pay for Nazi newsletters.”

As Patrick Casey, a leader of a now-defunct neo-Nazi group who is banned on nearly every other social platform except Substack, wrote on here in 2021: “I’m able to live comfortably doing something I find enjoyable and fulfilling. The cause isn’t going anywhere.” Several Nazis and white supremacists including Richard Spencer not only have paid subscriptions turned on but have received Substack “Bestseller” badges, indicating that they are making at a minimum thousands of dollars a year.

From our perspective as Substack publishers, it is unfathomable that someone with a swastika avatar, who writes about “The Jewish question,” or who promotes Great Replacement Theory, could be given the tools to succeed on your platform. And yet you’ve been unable to adequately explain your position.

In the past you have defended your decision to platform bigotry by saying you “make decisions based on principles not PR” and “will stick to our hands-off approach to content moderation.” But there’s a difference between a hands-off approach and putting your thumb on the scale. We know you moderate some content, including spam sites and newsletters written by sex workers. Why do you choose to promote and allow the monetization of sites that traffic in white nationalism?

Your unwillingness to play by your own rules on this issue has already led to the announced departures of several prominent Substackers, including Rusty Foster and Helena Fitzgerald. They follow previous exoduses of writers, including Substack Pro recipient Grace Lavery and Jude Ellison S. Doyle, who left with similar concerns.

As journalist Casey Newton told his more than 166,000 Substack subscribers after Katz’s piece came out: “The correct number of newsletters using Nazi symbols that you host and profit from on your platform is zero.”

We, your publishers, want to hear from you on the official Substack newsletter. Is platforming Nazis part of your vision of success? Let us know—from there we can each decide if this is still where we want to be.

Signed,

Substackers Against Nazis