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{{Infobox website
| name = Voat Inc.
| logo =
| company_type = Private
| country_of_origin = [[Switzerland]]
Line 13:
| language = English
| launched = {{start date and age|2014|4}} (as WhoaVerse)
| dissolved = {{end date and age|2020|12|25}}
| website_type = [[Social news]]
}}
'''Voat Inc''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|v|oʊ|t}}; styled '''VOΛT''') was an American [[alt-tech]]<ref>{{Cite news|last=Roose|first=Kevin|author-link=Kevin Roose|title=The Alt-Right Created a Parallel Internet. It's an Unholy Mess.
== Overview ==
Voat was a site which hosted [[Social network aggregation|aggregated content]] and [[Internet forum|discussion forums]]. According to ''[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]'', Voat was "aesthetically and functionally similar to [[Reddit]]."<ref name="InRevolt">{{cite
Voat was described by media outlets including ''[[Quartz (publication)|Quartz]]'', ''[[The New York Times]]'', ''[[New York (magazine)|New York]]'', and the [[Wired (magazine)|US]] and [[Wired UK|UK]] editions of ''Wired'', as a hub for the [[alt-right]].<ref name="alt-right-hub" /> The site was also widely described as a clone of Reddit,{{refn|name="Reddit-clone"|<ref name="Sawers" /><ref name="Guard" /><ref name=":6" /><ref name=":7" />}} or sometimes dubbed "the alt-right Reddit".{{refn|name="alt-right-Reddit"|<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":6" />}} In a January 2017 ''[[The New Yorker|New Yorker]]'' article, Voat was described as a descendant of [[Futaba Channel|2chan]], [[4chan]], and [[8chan]], where users compete for [[shock value]].<ref>{{cite
The name "Voat" is a play on the words 'goat' and 'vote'.<ref name=VoatAbout /> The site's mascot is a goat.<ref name=MW>{{cite news |url=http://www.marketwatch.com/story/voat-creator-speaks-on-reddit-refugees-plans-for-future-2015-07-10 |title=Creator of surging Reddit rival Voat: We will avoid same mistakes |last=Poletti |first=Therese |work=[[MarketWatch]] |publisher=[[Dow Jones & Company]] |date=July 10, 2015 |access-date=July 11, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150710210314/http://www.marketwatch.com/story/voat-creator-speaks-on-reddit-refugees-plans-for-future-2015-07-10 |archive-date=July 10, 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref> The website used the
== Company and funding ==
Founded in April 2014 as WhoaVerse, the website was a hobby project of Atif Colo (known on Voat as @Atko), then a college student. He was later joined by Justin Chastain (known as @PuttItOut on Voat).<ref name="IBT">{{cite news|url=https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/what-voat-anti-censorship-alternative-reddit-that-trolls-have-flocked-1510615|title=What is Voat, the anti-censorship alternative to Reddit that trolls have flocked to?|last=Russon|first=Mary-Ann|date=July 13, 2015|website=[[International Business Times]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150714035625/http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/what-voat-anti-censorship-alternative-reddit-that-trolls-have-flocked-1510615|archive-date=July 14, 2015|access-date=July 13, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title = WhoaVerse is changing name {{!}} announcements|url = https://voat.co/v/announcements/comments/38163|website = Voat – Solidarité|access-date = November 17, 2015|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150907043638/https://voat.co/v/announcements/comments/38163|archive-date = September 7, 2015|url-status =
Although Voat was based in Switzerland,<ref name=":5" /> Voat became [[Incorporation (business)|incorporated]] in the United States in August 2015. Colo explained in a post announcing the incorporation that this was because "Switzerland seemed like a great option in the beginning, but when it comes to freedom of speech, the main idea behind Voat, U.S. law by far beats every other candidate country we’ve researched."<ref>{{cite news|last=Dewey|first=Caitlyn|date=August 6, 2015|title=Contrary to the Internet crybabies, online speech in the U.S. is really free, actually|
In January 2017, Colo resigned as CEO of Voat, citing a lack of time available to devote to the site. Colo was replaced as CEO by Chastain.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Colo|first=Atif|date=January 27, 2017|title=Change of Guard! {{!}} announcements|url=https://voat.co/v/announcements/1597313|url-status=
=== Shutdown ===
In May 2017, Chastain ran a fundraising campaign, announcing that Voat might have to shut down due to lack of money.<ref name="theverge" /> However, after forming a partnership with an investor, Voat stayed online.<ref name=":6" />
On December 22, 2020, Voat again announced that it would be shut down due to a lack of funding. Co-founder and CEO Chastain said that he had been funding the site himself after a key investor defaulted on their contract in March, but had run out of money by December.<ref name=":6" /> On December 25, 2020, Voat shut down.<ref name="Cox-Ars Technica">{{Cite web|last=Cox|first=Kate|date=December 28, 2020|title=Reddit clone Voat, home to hate speech and QAnon, has shut down|url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2020/12/reddit-clone-voat-home-to-hate-speech-and-qanon-has-shut-down/|access-date=December 29, 2020|website=[[Ars Technica]]|language=en-us|archive-date=December 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201228230712/https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2020/12/reddit-clone-voat-home-to-hate-speech-and-qanon-has-shut-down/|url-status=live}}</ref>
== History ==
Over Voat's six years of operation, accusations of censorship against Reddit and its moderation decisions, including the banning of various subreddits, caused several influxes of Reddit users to Voat.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2015/02/18/the-reddit-exodus-is-a-perfect-illustration-of-the-state-of-free-speech-on-the-web/|title=The 'Reddit exodus' is a perfect illustration of the state of free speech on the Web|last=Dewey|first=Caitlyn|date=February 18, 2015|
In April 2019, Voat's CEO announced in a post that he had been contacted by a "US agency" about threats that were being posted on the website. In the post, he wrote that Voat would work with law enforcement and take down any "gray area" posts if requested. According to ''[[Vice (magazine)|Vice]]'', "Voat users took offense to the perceived curtailing of their ability to post racial slurs and endorse violence. The first comment on Chastain's post opened with an anti-Semitic slur and call to exterminate Jews."<ref>{{Cite web|last=Emerson|first=Sarah|date=April 26, 2019|title=Voat, the 'Censorship-Free' Reddit, Begs Users to Stop Making Death Threats|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/gy4gzy/founder-of-voat-the-censorship-free-reddit-begs-users-to-stop-making-death-threats|access-date=December 29, 2020|website=[[Vice (magazine)|Vice]]|language=en|archive-date=December 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201229192623/https://www.vice.com/en/article/gy4gzy/founder-of-voat-the-censorship-free-reddit-begs-users-to-stop-making-death-threats|url-status=live}}</ref>
=== Deplatforming and cyberattacks ===
Voat's [[web hosting service]], Host Europe (a precursor to [[Webfusion]]), refused service to Voat in June 2015, alleging that the service "was publicizing [[Volksverhetzung|incitement of the people]], as well as abusive, insulting and [[Federal Department for Media Harmful to Young Persons|youth-endangering content]]" and "[[Strafgesetzbuch section 86a|illegal right-wing extremist content]]."<ref name="Sawers">{{cite web|url=https://venturebeat.com/2015/06/19/swiss-reddit-clone-voat-has-its-servers-closed-by-hosting-provider-due-to-politically-incorrect-content/|title=Amid censorship brouhaha, Reddit clone Voat has its servers closed by hosting provider|last=Sawers|first=Paul|date=June 19, 2015|website=[[VentureBeat]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170222044428/http://venturebeat.com/2015/06/19/swiss-reddit-clone-voat-has-its-servers-closed-by-hosting-provider-due-to-politically-incorrect-content/|archive-date=February 22, 2017|access-date=December 16, 2016}}</ref> Host Europe is based in Germany, and is subject to stronger hate speech laws than those of the United States.<ref name="Cox-Ars Technica" /> Voat's founder attributed the shutdown to [[political correctness]].<ref name=Sawers /> [[PayPal]] froze payment processing services to Voat the same month due to "sexually oriented materials or services."<ref name="IBT" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://motherboard.vice.com/read/paypal-cuts-off-reddit-clone-voat-over-obscenity|work=Motherboard|publisher=VICE|title=PayPal Cuts Off Reddit Clone Voat Over 'Obscenity'|date=June 23, 2015|access-date=December 16, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161206201017/http://motherboard.vice.com/read/paypal-cuts-off-reddit-clone-voat-over-obscenity/|archive-date=December 6, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Dewey">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2015/06/23/this-is-what-happens-when-you-create-an-online-community-without-any-rules-part-2/|title=This is what happens when you create an online community without any rules, part 2|last=Dewey|first=Caitlin|date=June 23, 2015|
Also in July, Voat, alongside [[WikiLeaks]], was subject to a [[Bitcoin]] [[
== See also ==
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* [[8chan]]
* [[DLive]]
* [[Minds (social network)|Minds]]
* [[Parler]]
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