“They apologize for the notification, not for platforming Nazis:” Substack under fire for promoting radical content

For some users, the Substack “error” was the final push to look for other platform alternatives.

A number of Substack users have received a push notification from the platform encouraging them to check a Nazi blog, which included a swastika icon.

Substack soon apologized for the “error,” also stating that they “have taken the relevant system offline, diagnosed the issue, and are making changes to ensure it doesn’t happen again."

The platform has already received strong reactions for allowing users to share and spread their radical views. In response, it stated that censorship doesn’t solve the problem but makes it even bigger.

Nevertheless, the recent push notification accident made this belief even more concerning. Substack has been criticized for promoting popular content through its notification alerts, which also includes extreme content such as Nazi blogs.

Joshua Fisher-Birch, a terrorism analyst, has been monitoring Substack’s significance for groups such as neo-Nazis to spread their propaganda, reports Ars Technica.

His findings reveal that Substack has been seen as a platform on which content is less likely to be removed compared with other platforms.

Besides the fact that Substack lacks content monitoring, the analyst also noted that these groups find it a powerful tool to share information, considering that a number of journalists, influencers, and content creators use it as their primary platform.

With this veneer of legitimacy in mind, Substack has become an excellent way to spread information and recruit new members for various groups.

Fisher-Birch also noted that Substack should not only apologize for the error but also explain why this happened and what measures it will take to prevent it from happening again.

A few years ago, Substack received backlash after Jonathan Katz from The Atlantic revealed the platform’s “Nazi problem” as it featured newsletters with Nazi imagery.

The explanation behind allowing extreme views to be shared on the platform, provided by Substack’s co-founder, Hamish McKenzie, was that, while they don’t agree with those views, censoring or banning them would be even worse.

According to Fisher-Birch, giving the green light for such ideas to be shared freely made the platform into a “bullhorn” for right-wing extremists.

The analyst also noted that this situation was the right time for Substack to review its terms of service and guidelines and ensure that hate speech and discrimination are prohibited.

However, he believes the platform will continue to tolerate such content, reminding us of its failure to follow “limited community guidelines” in 2024. During that time, a white supremacist blog urged violence against Jewish people, which was reported by the Counter Extremism Project (CEP).

Substack’s apology started a discussion online, prompting many users to stop visiting the platform.

“Oh ok, so tomorrow add to list of things to-do: delete substack account. What’s the healthy alternative if I need an outlet for creative writing?” asked a Redditor.

“I just removed my account 10 days ago after finding this out,” shared another user.

Substack sent a push alert promoting a Nazi blog. The alert contained a swastika and prompted users to subscribe to newsletter featuring opinions and news important to the "white nationalist community."
byu/Knightbear49 intechnology

Some users were also quick to remember Substack’s past, which includes allowing extremists to share their views.

“So this is what the third time Substack has been shown to have Nazi ties? Once is an accident, twice is suspicious, three times is on purpose,” wrote another netizen.

“So, they apologize for the notification, not for platforming Nazis….,” added another.

“I’m starting to understand why the phrase ‘you can read more about it on my Substack’ is becoming a red flag,” noted Redditor.