Gab founder Andrew Torba is engaged in a back-and-forth with leading conservative talker and author Dan Bongino, who recently invested in video platform Rumble, over the latter's "hate speech" restrictions.
Previously, Torba was critical of what he sees as anti-free speech terms of service for users of Rumble, which led to a typical fiery response from Bongino, a former NYPD officer and Secret Service agent who is no stranger to controversy and has no problems speaking his mind.
Rumble positioned itself as a free-speech alternative to YouTube, and clearly the platform is that, to a degree; YouTube consistently bans freedom-minded Americans of all political stripes if they don't espouse the deep state's narratives on 'sensitive' issues like experimental COVID-19 vaccines, mask mandates, UFOs and other phenomena.
Torba also lashed out at Rumble's "pro-free speech" mantra after bringing aboard notable liberals like former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) and investigative journalist Glenn Greenwald and then paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for their content.
In addition, the Gab founder noted that Rumble does indeed have regulations against so-called "hate speech" which Greenwald confirmed in an interview recently with The Washington Post.
“You can’t go on there and say racist stuff,” said Greenwald without actually elaborating on what constituted "racist" on Rumble.
In his Aug. 14 broadcast, Bongino ripped Torba, calling him a “joker,” a “fraud,” and a “clown" on Rumble's "great day."
In a subsequent Facebook post (!), Bongino continued that theme.
"Andrew Torba from Gab is having another childish temper-tantrum because of the success of alternative platforms to the big tech titans. It’s pathetic to watch," he wrote, though he did say he would continue to promote Gab on "The Dan Bongino Show."
"And whereas I’ll continue to promote Gab on my show and elsewhere as one of many alternatives to Twitter and other liberal platforms, Torba will continue to meltdown and aim fire at our own forces. Andrew Torba cares about one thing, and that’s Andrew Torba. It’s embarrassing," Bongino continued.
"And the people who REALLY know him know this to be true. I’m sorry to do this but Torba clearly believes a circular firing squad is a successful strategy, and he chooses to make his emotional outbursts public. They require an honest response," he added.
Torba responded with a statement of his own, blasting Bongino's "highly emotional outburst attacking me for simply stating a fact: Rumble, a platform he invested in, claims to support free speech and yet bans “hate speech” with terms of service that are no different than any Big Tech platform."
"I wholeheartedly support the free market and competition. I believe that more platforms supporting free speech and not having any 'hate speech' policies is a good thing for the free flow of information online. That being said, when a platform claims to be something that they are not I think it’s important to call it out so that The People are not misled," he added.
He went on to say that he stands up regularly for true free speech platforms including Bitchute and Odysee.
"I think these guys are doing great work and I’ve spoken with the CEOs of both platforms. Like Gab, these platforms have been severely punished by the mainstream media, activist organizations, and Big Tech platforms for their stances on free speech. That’s how you know they are the real deal," he said.
Torba went on to mention another come-lately platform that Bongino invested in, Parler, which Torba correctly predicted would 'bend a knee' to Big Tech in order to be allowed to get back online after being deplatformed by Amazon Web Services.
"If you’re going to call yourself a “free speech” platform then you better have a terms of service that reflects that claim. Otherwise, you’re a subversive at worst and a hypocrite at best," Torba concluded.
By the way, Brighteon.com, developed by Natural News founder and editor Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, is also an excellent free speech alternative for video content producers, along with other platforms he's created.
What's really problematic here is that both platforms are really good and it would be nice if, for a change, the 'right side' of tech would stop attacking each other, which is just what the left-wing platforms love.
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