Dave Rubin takes stand against Patreon, explains importance of free speech
Dave Rubin, host of the Rubin Report and a “renegade” of the recently dubbed Intellectual Dark Web (IDW), is taking a stand against Patreon - a membership platform for businesses to earn money from subscription-based content - alongside other IDW personalities like Sam Harris and Jordan Peterson.
Speaking with me at Turning Point’s Student Action Summit in West Palm Beach, Rubin emphasized why he feels it is important to take a stand against Patreon.
“We all know that this thing has been going on for years. The fact that there are either shadow bans, or algorithms not working, or people being unsubscribed, or you don’t see things in your feed … a series of issues related to what is wrong with these tech companies. So, I think at some point you either take a stand or you never do it,” said Rubin. “The line moved so far suddenly.”
This month, Patreon has been under fire for their decision to de-platform Carl Benjamin, often referred to by his YouTube name of ‘Sargon of Akkad’. Patreon asserts that Benjamin violated their community guidelines by using racial slurs on a separate platform.
“We understand some people don’t believe in the concept of hate speech and don’t agree with Patreon removing creators on the grounds of violating our Community Guidelines for using hate speech. We have a different view” said Jacqueline Hart, the head of Trust and Safety at Patreon.
Rubin challenged Patreon’s categorization of ‘hate speech’, noting that Benjamin’s forced removal from the platform should serve as a warning sign to those who wish to freely discuss ideas.
“Should this man not be allowed to talk about ideas? And if he can’t, then who else can't? And guess what, that line is never going to stop until it has everyone. So what do you have to do? You have to take away the power. How do you take away the power? In my opinion, it’s not that you go for government intervention, it’s that you get competition going.”
Competition is exactly Rubin’s strategy. Along with Jordan Peterson, Rubin hopes to launch a competing platform against Patreon.
“Is there a way to write a terms of service that isn’t always looking to knock people out … but also about the basic contract we have as humans to be able to talk about ideas. These are all the things we’re working on right now.”
Rubin and Peterson are expected to make a joint announcement regarding their platform in the coming days.