Cancelled misogynist Andrew Tate moves domain to (drumroll)… Epik!
Andrew Tate has become the latest high-profile controversy magnet to move his domain to Epik, at the end of a week that saw him thoroughly “cancelled” over reportedly violently misogynistic speech.
Tate, a former kick-boxer and reality TV contestant who made his money through a large social media following and an online course called Hustler’s University, reportedly told Fox News host Tucker Carlson yesterday:
When they go to cancel you, ladies and gentlemen, it comes hard and fast. You lose your Facebook, then your Instagram, then your Gmail, your Discord, then your website hosting, your domain name, like then your payment processor, and your bank.
Tate reportedly had his accounts on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Tiktok deleted this week. He was getting banned so much it briefly became a meme.
The domain name in question appears to be cobratate.com, based on his apparent nickname “Cobra”, and it appears to still be in his possession, although he has changed registrars.
Up until an hour or two ago the name was managed by Tucows, via United-Internet-owned reseller Fasthosts, but the Whois record now shows it’s with Epik.
It’s not clear right now whether he jumped or, as he implied to Fox, was pushed. Tucows tells me it had not received any complaints about the site, had not investigated, and had not asked Tate to leave. I’ve asked United for comment.
Epik has over the last few years become the safe-haven registrar of choice for people and groups who become internet persona non grata, typically those with far-right or violent views, such as Infowars, 8chan, Gab and The Daily Stormer.
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fReE sPeEcH!!!11!1!
Funny how bigots think everyone should be tolerant of their intolerant views.
Surprised he didn’t find refuge in some decentralized YouTube. That’s where his audience is.
I’m not threatened by his toxic masculinity. At some point we may all fall under the suspicion of not being in line with those in power. At that point, what are the options?
I guess the only other option left is becoming one’s own registry, which is expensive for most domain name owners.
ICANN would have to approve the registry and even if they do, most networks can still block/firewall an IP transmission via their routers.
So the future of the internet is not a free place of ideas. It will be controlled, if not already, by governments and monopolies.
What fun.
The internet IS a free place of ideas. PLATFORMS are not.
Racists/bigots/assholes are free to live wherever they want. Do they belong on my lawn? Or in my place of business? Absolutely not.
People conflate the Constitution and Freedom of Speech to mean they can do whatever they want, wherever they want. Nonsensical.