Controversial Content Creators Shift to Crypto After Censorship

As a result, some of the online crowdfunding platform Patreon's top content creators decided to leave the platform in favor of Bitcoin funding, each taking with them tens of thousands of dollars in monthly revenue.

As the furore surrounding payment platforms and their decision to cancel controversial accounts continues, Cointelegraph takes a closer look at what role crypto plays in what is being portrayed as the latest battleground for the freedom of speech.

On Jan. 16, American political commentator Dave Rubin became the latest high-profile public figure to delete his account with the online crowdfunding platform Patreon.

In spite of his claims to earn "Between 60-70 percent" of his income through Patreon, Rubin said that his decision to switch to Bitcoin constituted "a stand against the ever-moving encroachment on free speech, on free expression" that he perceives to be taking place across mainstream funding platforms.

The controversial social media platform Gab is one of the most prominent sites to be shut down in the name of monitoring hate speech.

As mainstream platforms close their doors, crypto alternatives fill the gaps in the market.

"Significant damage is already done. Many people have known for a while that something strange was happening on the major platforms, but most such accounts were anecdotal. These recent developments are concrete realizations of many people's suspicions that the big companies don't necessarily operate with consistent principles. It's not that Bitcoin won't ban you because it's so nice and principled - it can't. This immutable finality is part of what Bitcoin brings to the table that no other human-managed service can ever possibly bring."

The far-right activist's PayPal account was terminated in November after the company stated that they "Do not allow PayPal services to be used to promote hate, violence, or other forms of intolerance that is discriminatory." Robinson's ban was preceded by an online petition to remove him from the platform that gathered thousands of signatures, drawing attention to his past actions of "Stirring up racist violence with online content." As Robinson's options for fundraising via traditional platforms are being removed one by one, the activist has turned to crypto in a last-ditch attempt to secure funding for his controversial activities.

"Far Right groups are slowly having their sources of income taken from them as activists target payment processors such as PayPal and Stripe, rather than calling for the banning of groups in their totality. Far Right groups are also finding themselves 'deplatformed' from mainstream social media and video platforms. They are either creating their own alternatives to these platforms - Gab, Minds, Bitchute - or are looking at other, decentralized alternatives to disseminating their ideas."

Following the cancellation, Wikileaks called for a "Global blockade of Coinbase," stating that it is an unfit member of the crypto community and encouraged supporters to donate via Bitcoin.