MP to Confront Substack Over Revenue from Extremist Content
Labour MP Joani Reid has announced she will write to both Substack and the communications regulator Ofcom, demanding they address alarming findings from a Guardian investigation. The probe has uncovered that the global publishing platform is generating significant income from newsletters that openly promote virulent Nazi ideology, white supremacy, and antisemitism.
Platform Profits from Hate-Fuelled Publications
Substack, which boasts approximately 50 million users worldwide, operates by allowing individuals to self-publish articles and charge for premium content. The company takes a cut of about 10% from subscription revenues. With around 5 million people paying for newsletters on the platform, this business model is now under intense scrutiny.
The Guardian's investigation identified several newsletters that are monetising extremist views. One prominent example is NatSocToday, which has 2,800 subscribers and charges $80 (roughly £60) for an annual subscription. This publication features a swastika as its profile picture and is understood to be operated by a far-right activist based in the United States.
Algorithm Amplifies Dangerous Content
Within just two hours of subscribing to NatSocToday for research purposes, the Guardian's account was directed by Substack's algorithm to 21 other profiles featuring similar extremist material. Many of these accounts actively engage with each other's posts, creating an echo chamber that reinforces dangerous ideologies.
Among the concerning publications discovered were:
- Erika Drexler: A self-described "national socialist activist" with 241 subscribers who charges $150 annually and describes Adolf Hitler as her hero.
- Ava Wolfe: Appearing to be UK-based with 3,000 subscribers, this account features swastikas and other Nazi imagery while charging £38 annually and promoting Holocaust denial.
- Third Reich Literature Archive: With 2,100 subscribers paying $80 yearly, this account shares historical Nazi propaganda materials.
Real-World Consequences of Online Extremism
Danny Stone, chief executive of the Antisemitism Policy Trust, emphasised the direct connection between online hate content and real-world violence. He cited multiple tragic incidents including the 2022 Buffalo shooting, the 2018 Pittsburgh synagogue attack, and the 2017 Finsbury Park mosque assault.
"People can be, and are, inspired by online harm to cause harm in the real world," Stone stated. "The terrorist who attacked Heaton Park synagogue didn't wake up one morning and decide to kill Jews; he will have been radicalised."
Stone expressed particular concern about the platform's algorithmic promotion of harmful materials and the inadequacy of current regulations in addressing "legal but harmful" content.
Historical Memory Under Threat
The Holocaust Educational Trust voiced alarm about the increasing reach of Holocaust denial and Nazi glorification material. A spokesperson noted: "The idea that Substack profits from this hateful material and allows for it to be boosted via their algorithm is a disgrace."
They highlighted the dangerous combination of diminishing firsthand accounts of the Holocaust alongside rising antisemitism, warning that failure to properly remember historical atrocities makes societies vulnerable to repeating them.
Political Response and Platform Defence
Joani Reid, who chairs the all-party parliamentary group against antisemitism, described how antisemitism is "spreading with impunity" and worsening. "We need to hold these tech companies to account because there are real-life consequences to this," she asserted.
Substack, which launched in 2017, has previously faced criticism for hosting extremist content. Co-founder Hamish McKenzie addressed the issue in a 2023 post, writing: "I just want to make it clear that we don't like Nazis either... But we don't think that censorship makes the problem go away."
McKenzie defended the platform's commitment to free expression while noting that content guidelines prohibit incitements to violence. The company did not respond to requests for comment regarding the Guardian's specific findings.
This investigation emerges against a backdrop of increased antisemitism and Islamophobia following the October 2023 Israel-Gaza conflict, with recent attacks on Jewish communities in Manchester and Sydney highlighting the urgent need to address online radicalisation.
