Talk:BitChute

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Association with the 'Nazis' was a long time ago

Please check out Ofcom recent articles, it is a UK government agency, the platform is now fully compliant and this article is basically slandering it. I removed that it hosts neo Nazis. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Xyron1987 (talk • contribs) 03:46, 3 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Feel free to provide reliable, independent sources that support your assertions that the public perception of the platform has changed. However, the Ofcom article is not such an article — it merely notes some changes that BitChute promised to make, while also noting "While we welcome these improvements, we are aware of reports alleging that content likely to incite violence and hatred continues to be uploaded to BitChute, can be accessed easily, and may pose significant risks to users." GorillaWarfare (she/her • talk) 15:13, 3 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, but do you see how this isn't fair? Even YouTube had Nazi content in the beginning, which was eventually blocked and the users banned. I'm not asking to remove the entire statement, just the part about hosting neo-Nazis. Twitter X and Rumble have a lot of nazi content, yet there's no mention of neo-Nazis in their opening paragraph of a Wikipedia article that millions read. BitChute is a small operation, and descriptions like this can be damaging.

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/illegal-and-harmful-content/bitchute-03-10-2023/ Xyron1987 (talk) 03:04, 4 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]

See WP:NPOV: "representing fairly, proportionately, and, as far as possible, without editorial bias, all the significant views that have been published by reliable sources on a topic." Independent, reliable sources have overwhelmingly discussed Bitchute as home to neo-Nazis and other such content, and so the Wikipedia page reflects that. If Bitchute has indeed changed their platform moderation strategy then perhaps they will eventually become known for something else. However, there has been little in the way of coverage of the site since the Ofcom press release, so it would be premature to suggest that that has indeed happened. We follow the reliable sources, not the other way around. GorillaWarfare (she/her • talk) 14:09, 4 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Can we have at least an introductory paragraph like this one? "Rumble is an online video platform, web hosting, and cloud services business headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, with its U.S. headquarters in Longboat Key, Florida. It was founded in 2013 by Chris Pavlovski, a Macedonian Canadian technology entrepreneur. Rumble's cloud services business hosts Truth Social, and the video platform is popular among American conservative and far-right users. Rumble has been described as "alt-tech"."

Then the part about Nazis, hate speech, and other concerns can be included in a "Controversies" section of the article. Placing it right at the beginning feels a bit excessive, in my opinion. Also, keep in mind that Ofcom is a UK government agency—I wouldn’t underestimate their influence. Xyron1987 (talk) 09:46, 5 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]

It has one: “BitChute is an alt-tech video hosting service launched by Ray Vahey in January 2017.” I have no doubts about Ofcom’s influence, but that does not change that Wikipedia reflects what is written in secondary, reliable sources, and reflects what has happened rather than trying to predict what may happen. GorillaWarfare (she/her • talk) 13:58, 5 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]

How about 'publishing far right content' instead of hosting neo nazis since there's no proof of this? Xyron1987 (talk) 08:20, 6 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]

I’m not sure what you mean by no proof, the citations (for example, [1]) are adequate. GorillaWarfare (she/her • talk) 15:59, 6 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]

They are old that's what I mean, we are talking about what the website was not is. Do you think the White House would have a verified channel on a neo nazi site? C'mon this is not stormfront. Please revise neo nazi to far right. Xyron1987 (talk) 04:23, 10 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]

What the White House does or doesn't do is not relevant to this article; if you want changes to the article to be made, you will need to provide actual reliable sources that support your claims. As GW has explained, the Ofcom's non-case says that BitChute has promised to make some changes, but it says nothing about whether those promises have actually been delivered on. Furthermore, it doesn't once mention "neo-Nazis" specifically, so it's certainly not usable as a source for the specific neo-Nazi angle you're going for (as otherwise, it'd require a bucket of WP:SYNTH).

But even if the website no longer hosts Neo-Nazi content (which, again, [citation needed]), the lede would still be correct: the service is known for hosting neo-Nazis, harmful conspiracy theories, and hate speech (emphasis mine). Even if it no longer does, one of the main reasons people know and talk about it is hosting neo-Nazi stuff, as evidenced by the cited sources. To draw a somewhat-flippant analogy, Mark David Chapman hasn't murdered a Beatle in nearly a half-century, but that's still what he's known for. As GW said, if these changes are actually implemented effectively, and if reliable sources start reporting on BitChute as no longer being affiliated with neo-Nazis, and if it gains enough coverage in the future that its neo-Nazi origins become a footnote in its history, then we could consider removing that from the lede. But we're a very long way off of any of that. Writ Keeper ⚇♔ 13:21, 10 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]

There isnt a reliable source that says Bitchute hosts neo-nazi content. You are breaking this sites rules by hosting libelous content on Wikipedia. 2600:100F:B1B5:AB10:0:31:798C:D601 (talk) 20:53, 2 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

That was originally an unsourced change back in July https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=BitChute&diff=1235916177&oldid=1224211921 and has since been reverted --FMSky (talk) 07:51, 4 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Semi-protected edit request on 27 April 2025

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BitChute and the Accommodation of All Manner of Speech

BitChute is a video-sharing platform that emerged in 2017 as an alternative to mainstream sites like YouTube, particularly after growing concerns about censorship and content moderation. Unlike more regulated platforms, BitChute has positioned itself as a champion of free speech, explicitly stating its commitment to allowing a wide range of viewpoints, even controversial or unpopular ones. This philosophy is reflected in its relatively hands-off approach to moderation, allowing users to post content that might otherwise be removed or demonetized elsewhere.

BitChute’s decentralized nature supports its mission. The platform initially used peer-to-peer technology to host videos, which made it harder for any single entity to exert control over what content could or could not exist on the site. In principle, this structure created a digital space where ideas, opinions, and narratives—regardless of how mainstream or fringe—could be shared without fear of corporate or governmental intervention.

As a result, BitChute accommodates everything from political discourse and independent journalism to conspiracy theories and controversial social commentary. While this broad accommodation has drawn praise from free-speech advocates, it has also led to criticism. Some argue that BitChute's minimal moderation has made it a haven for misinformation, hate speech, and extremist views. Nevertheless, the platform’s defenders argue that open dialogue is essential in a free society, and that users should be trusted to think critically and engage responsibly with the content they consume.

Ultimately, BitChute represents a deliberate experiment in digital freedom—a space where all manner of speech is permitted, for better or worse. It challenges the boundaries of acceptable discourse and forces important conversations about the balance between freedom of expression and the potential societal harms of unfettered speech in the digital age. Blorbus Unimax (talk) 02:13, 27 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Not done: Wikipedia doesn't publish original research. Grayfell (talk) 05:06, 27 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]