Thread by @FreelanceWebDev

For the past few days I have been mentioning here that it's an Irish company that is hosting Gemma O'Doherty's Anti-Corruption Ireland website. Here's a thread about the private dialogue I have had with this company.

In the aftermath of the hateful events in New Zealand last week, I was delighted to learn that @MaritimeBantry had decided not to allow their hotel to be used as a platform for the hate and misinfo peddled by ACI.

It then struck me (probably should have sooner given I'm a web developer) that those providing the group with web hosting were also providing a platform to allow the group to grow and recruit.

So I ran a utility called ping to discover the IP address of the ACI server (currently 91.210.235.205) and then did a lookup to see who controls the IP block that IP is part of. mxtoolbox.com/SuperTool.aspx….

From this I learned that a #Waterford based company Protocol Internet who also trade as Hosting Ireland (@hostingireland) are responsible for the server ACI use to host their website. solocheck.ie/Irish-Company/….

I am aware that many web hosting companies depend on automated processes for setting up client hosting so I figured the first thing I would do is to privately email them to let them know the nature of the group they were hosting.

In my initial email I described how the group leader Gemma O'Doherty had described the New Zealand attack as a false flag hand the other views the group shares, on fluoride, HPV, immigrants, LGBT folk and muslims. I asked them to withdraw their service from the group.

In response @hostingireland issued a pretty canned response, thanking me for my email and basically linking to their terms & conditions saying that they would take 'appropriate action' if their terms were breached.

They went on to tell me, for reasons best known to themselves, that Twitter was beyond their jurisdiction! Perhaps this was a reference to my mentioning G O'D's NZ tweet. They also sent a broken link to their T&C's.

I emailed back pointing out the broken link, and to confirm that I had never asked them to take any action on Twitter content. I advised them that it was my intent to review their terms & conditions. I archived a copy of them as they were at the time web.archive.org/web/2019031911…

Under the section 'We Do Not Host:', @hostingireland explicitly mention 'Websites containing or promoting extreme political material;" I emailed @hostingIreland again, highlighting this clause and attached a scan of this article on ACI clearly confirming their extreme views.

In the @hostingireland response I was told that they did not believe ACI had breached their terms but were forwarding the site details to their solicitor to have them considered.

I guess it was supposed to be clear that they were somewhat concerned about being seen to be taking this seriously and that any decision they made could have legal consequences.

Except here's the rub. I'm been a web developer around 20 years at this point. I do not believe I have ever posted up a website terms and conditions that did not include a clause that enables the site owner to change those terms unilaterally at any point.

Sure enough, from the @hostingireland 'Acceptable Usage Policy"
"We reserve the right at all times to prohibit activities that damage our commercial reputation and goodwill."

Would this include goodwill from immigrants, asylum seekers, or members of the LGBT community?

Also, at the bottom of their long Terms & Conditions page at hostingireland.ie/termsandcondit… they say:
"Hosting Ireland reserves the right to change these terms and conditions without notice. "

So while @hostingireland might appear to be taking this all so seriously with claims they were passing this on to their solicitor, though I'm not a solicitor, it's hard to see how they are under any legal obligation to continue hosting ACI with these 'get out' clauses available.

So the question has to be asked, why are @hostingireland continuing to platform a group that states they want the HPV vaccine banned and want other vaccines 'investigated' as if there is some continuing doubt about their safety.

As members of both @iia and @ISPAIreland who profess on their About Us page "Hosting Ireland also has a significant interest in promoting a safe and secure Internet". Platforming groups spreading misinfo about vaccines seems a pretty odd way make internet users 'safer'.

The question has to be asked, does this position reflect the positions of @iia and @ispai? Are those groups prepared to explicitly clarify their position?

@hostingIreland subsequently confirmed to me that in the view of their solicitor, the ACI website did not breach their terms - you know, the terms that @hostingIreland decide on themselves.

Their terms and conditions could easily be amended to say:
@hostingireland abhors the spreading of hate online and stands in solidarity with targeted minority communities such as asylum seekers, immigrants, and LGBT folk. Our servers will not be used to assist in advancing hate.

They could also be amended to say:
@hostingireland accepts that the efficacy of vaccines is settled science and will not allow our servers to be used to undermine public confidence in them.

We all have a choice to make here. Will we be active or complicit in the spreading of hate and misinformation or will we take a stand for love, inclusivity and objective truth.

I'm not calling for a boycott of @hostingIreland, I'm no longer asking them to change their mind on this. It's simply up to all of us to follow our own consciences and decide what we can live with.

Professionally, I will not be directing clients to @hostingireland. Clients who come to me who are already using them or express an interest in using them will be directed to this thread. I can only hope my peers will consider what I have said.