Hi all,

Battleground will return in full force in 2024, covering not just the presidential election but also important developments in congressional races and redistricting; however, the following message cannot wait until next year. With the global rise of Islamophobia and antisemitism in the wake of Oct 7 and the ongoing atrocities occurring in Gaza, I feel compelled to stand up against hate that is tolerated here within the Substack community.

I initially chose to publish on Substack because of its commitment to provide publishing tools to writers in an open and decentralized fashion; devoid of algorithms that drive promotion and often function as free advertising. However, as platform leadership has strayed from that initial promise through their introduction of algorithmic “Notes” feeds, recommendations and even its own “Explore” page, Substack and its leaders have an ever-growing responsibility to moderate the content hosted here on the platform.

They are failing to do so because leadership believes it is not their job to do so and as a result the problem is only getting worse. Below is a collective message being echoed by many Substack writers seeking answers from the platform’s leaders, specifically why white supremacists are allowed to utilize Substack’s tools to recruit and spread their message of hatred. We are publishing the letter on our own Substacks today for visibility and to make our readers aware of our asks and concerns. Thanks for reading.

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. Katzand 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

Thanks again for reading. Please share this post with others. If you’re a publisher who would like to join this collective effort, we encourage you to repost the letter on your own Substack. If you want to you can let us know you’ve done so here and we’ll add you to the signatory page.

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