Calls for 8-Chan to be Taken Down.

     

      8-Chan, a popular online message board, has been the center of debates after controversies surrounding it. The message board had consistently been used by white supremacists and racist extremists, and many recent mass shooters have used this platform to spread their extremist views and even discuss their plans for the shootings. The founder of the website, who turned over control of the servers in 2015, has stated that he feels the website shouldn't remain up, saying clearly, "shut the site down."

      The website, which was founded in 2013, was intended to be a free-speech haven. However, it has caught serious flak after three recent mass shooters talked about their plan and even announced it and encouraged others to take part over 8-Chan. The question being is that is it a violation of the first amendment rights to have this website taken down due to what has been posted on it.

      The first amendment protects the rights of artistic and creative expression, however, it does not protect the right of those who use their speech for hate, or to insight or plan violence. Due to the fact that this message board is being used, not only for hate speech, but to plan acts of mass violence and even call others to join them as well, means that it the speech being used on 8-Chan is not protected by the first amendment.

      In my personal opinion, I agree with the founder of 8-Chan in his calls to take the messageboard down. What good is society getting from the continued use of the website, other than giving domestic terrorists a platform to spread propaganda and acts of terrorism? I imagine if it were a message board frequented by radical jihadists then the situation would have been quite different.

For more reading, check the link below:

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/04/technology/8chan-shooting-manifesto.html