Platformer : the tech newsletter founded by Verge alum Casey Newton is leaving Substack due to its policies and response towards pro-Nazi websites using the platform.
Platformer but keeps Nazis.
Newton notes that, after identifying Substack publications which “expressly supported Nazism in Germany during the 1930s and called violence against Jews among other groups,” it removed one publication along with five more on the list . Another thing that happened is that the platform co-founders requested that their conversations be kept off the record, and then leaked them to another publication.
Over the last few weeks, this issue has grown. More than 200 Substack authors wrote a letter asking the company to clarify its position after the Atlantic released an article claiming that Substack hosted and profited from pro-Nazi publication. Hamish McKenzie, Substack’s co-founder, said on December 21st that would not remove Nazi content.
Newton writes: “This is the moment I began to think platformer might need to leave Substack.” I’m not familiar with any major US consumer Internet platform that doesn’t explicitly ban praise of Nazi hate speech.
Newton says the platformer community has made it clear to him that they want the publication to leave Substack. Newton said that you will not have to take any action to continue receiving Platformer. If all goes according to plan, after the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, on Monday, you will receive the normal Tuesday edition of platformer, says Newton.
Substack did not immediately respond to a comment request.