'Cesspool Of Hate': Cloudflare Cuts Off Security Service To 8chan Forum After El Paso Shooting
NEW YORK (CBSDFW.COM/AP) — A cybersecurity provider has cut off service for an online message board accused of hosting extremist content that's believed to be linked to the alleged gunman in the deadly shooting of 20 people in El Paso.
8chan returned an error message after midnight California time after Cloudflare Inc. said its support would end to what the security company called a "cesspool of hate." There was no immediate explanation, but lack of security support would leave the site open to online attacks that might block access.
Police are investigating commentary posted on 8chan that is believed to have been written by the suspect, Patrick Crusius, in a shooting Saturday that killed 20 people in El Paso, Texas.
"We reluctantly tolerate content that we find reprehensible, but we draw the line at platforms that have demonstrated they directly inspire tragic events and are lawless by design. 8chan has crossed that line. It will therefore no longer be allowed to use our services," Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince said in a blog post on the company's site.
8chan's operators said on Twitter that there might be "some downtime" for 24 to 48 hours while they looked for a solution.
The suspect in El Paso "appears to have been inspired" by discussions on 8chan, Prince said. He said a suspect in an earlier shooting at a synagogue in Poway, California, also posted a "hate-filled 'open letter'" on 8chan.
"8chan has repeatedly proven itself to be a cesspool of hate," wrote Prince. "They have proven themselves to be lawless and that lawlessness has caused multiple tragic deaths."
(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)