An online whistleblower portal created by an evangelical organization to punish anyone who provides abortion services in Texas has reportedly found a new home alongside neo-Nazis and white supremacists after getting the start Friday by GoDaddy hosting provider.
The state’s draconian “Heartbeat Law” went into effect on Sept. 1 and bans abortions directly after the sixth week of pregnancy, before most women realize they’re pregnant. Also known as SB 8, it was signed into law by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in May. And while there are loopholes for a mother whose life is in danger, the act does not include exceptions for rape or incest. In addition to targeting doctors who perform abortions, SB 8 also opens the door to lawsuits against insurance companies and even transportation services that may be involved at some point along the way.
To facilitate law enforcement, Texas Right to Life established a digital tip line that allows Texans to file anonymous reports of alleged violations.
“The Texas Heartbeat Act is unique in that it requires private citizens to hold abortion providers and their facilitators accountable, ”the site explains (underlining theirs). “Anyone can sue any abortion provider who dies an unborn child after six weeks of gestation, and anyone can sue anyone who helps or incites these illegal abortions. All of these people must pay damages to the person who sued them for at least $ 10,000 for each illegal abortion they perform or help. “
Texas ’right to life says it will“ ensure that these violators of the law are held accountable for their actions, ”the site continues. “Use the links below to report anyone who violates the Texas Heartbeat Act by assisting or inciting a post – heartbeat abortion. And report any person or entity who helps or encourages (or intends to help or incite) an illegal abortion in Texas ”.
When a user clicks the “Submit anonymous advice” button on the site, a short questionnaire appears asking for more details. Users can also upload photos and videos of any test that supports their claims. “We will not track or contact you,” the site states.
This week, the site was overflowing with obviously false advice about people like Governor Abbott seeking abortions, Shrek porn, and countless copies of the script for the 2007 “Bee Movie.” According to reports, Texas Right to Life went having trouble keeping the site online due to the influx of traffic, a problem that seems to persist. Those trying to access the site Saturday from Texas, as well as points beyond, regularly received an error message. When the site was running from time to time, it was often impossible to try to get past the home page.
GoDaddy had informed Texas Right to Life on Thursday afternoon that it would no longer be hosting and that it would find another provider within 24 hours.
Kim Schwartz, communications director for Texas Right to Life, wrote a blog post on Friday denouncing GoDaddy’s decision to leave the site, complaining that “keyboard warriors were harassing GoDaddy” for severing ties with the group.
“We won’t be silenced,” Kimberlyn Schwartz, Texas communications director Right to Life, said in an email to The Daily Beast. “If the anti-Lifers want to remove our website, we will put it back into operation. No one can stop us from telling the truth. No one can stop us from saving lives. We are not afraid of the crowd. Anti-life activists hate us because we win. Hundreds of babies are being saved from abortion right now because of Texas’ right to life, and those attacks don’t change that. “
According to Schwartz, GoDaddy “neglected to specify” what rules the site had breached. But GoDaddy told Ars Technica that “the site violated several provisions,” including one prohibiting the use of GoDaddy to “collect or collect … non-public or personally identifiable information” without “prior written consent.”
This doesn’t seem to bother Epik, a hosting provider that in the past has worked with other entities that no one else would touch, including the high-right Twitter clone Parler, the Internet hatred paradise 8Chan and Gab, the Pittsburgh-favored social network synagogue shooter Robert Bowers.
After getting the boot from the GoDaddy platform, Epik welcomed ProLifeWhistleblower.com to its customer list, according to domain registration data cited by Ars Technica.
The CEO of Epik is a Dutch-American businessman in his fifties named Robert Monster, which is his real name. After earning his MBA from Cornell University, Monster describes him himself as a “Christian Libertarian,” went to work for Procter & Gamble as global product development manager for Pampers diapers.
In 2007 he found religion.
“I came to the deeply researched conclusion that the God of the Bible is in fact the Creator of the Universe and that the decision to accept the gift of free salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ is the way to eternal life.” said Monster. in a 2016 interview quoted by HuffPost that has now been withdrawn.
Monster, which did not respond to multiple requests for comment, founded Epik two years later. One of Epik’s selling points was that it would work with everyone who could pay, like Alex Jones, the Sandy Hook lawyer behind the Infowars conspiracy site. (Monster seems to be tracing the line on The Daily Stormer, a virulently anti-Semitic website he posted in 2019).
For now, Epik is one of the only Texas Right to Life options. But Schwartz said the group is still “exploring various long-term accommodation plans.”
Texas Right to Life will celebrate the new law with a “Celebration of Life” Sept. 18 at the Hilton Americas Hotel in downtown Houston. According to a brochure of the event, it sells corporate sponsorships for up to $ 50,000.