Just last week the political website Guido Fawkes wrote on my blog that they were using software to sift out racist comments from their readers, yet today they are standing by while more racism appears on their site.
As a result I have now reported the website to the Equality and Human Rights Commission to investigate whether Guido Fawkes have wilfully ignored racism.
In response to my blog last week highlighting racist comments about the Labour MP Chi Onwurah, Guido Fawkes claimed that their software blocks “hundreds” of comments a day.
Today Guido published their first story concerning a black person since making that statement, almost inevitably a non-story about Chuka Umunna, and clearly their software is failing to stop the racism.
Comments included:
The savant10.4 highway patrol says: All he is and all he will ever. Be. Is. A Nigerian 419. Scammer.
All Lefty’s must die says: [posts YouTube video of Black and White Minstrels]
Just Chuka’d my tea down the pan says: That’s what I call multiculturalism!
All Lefty’s must die says: [posts YouTube video of Love Thy Neighbour]
b345t of Mombassa Chukup style says: [posts YouTube video of African tribal dances]
All Lefty’s must die says: [posts YouTube video of Mammy by Al Jolson]
b345t of Mombassa Chukup style says: Thye know who Mammy is ,but its just who was Daddy thats the problem!
Shifting the blame onto software is a neat trick but hardly enough to divert attention for the racism that regularly appears on their site.
Every website must take responsibility for what they publish, and it is clear that Guido Fawkes is one of the worst offenders when it comes to racism. In fact their reader threads often resemble a Far Right chatroom whenever a Black or Asian person is the subject of discussion.
I hope that the Equality and Human Rights Commission will take action and will report any updates as they happen.
By Lester Holloway @brolezholloway
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