Voat
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Social networking service, news aggregator |
| Founded | April 2014 |
| Founder | Atif Colo |
| Defunct | December 25, 2020 |
| Fate | Shutdown due to financial difficulties |
| Headquarters | United States (originally Switzerland) |
Key people | Justin Chastain (CEO) |
| Products | Social networking platform, news aggregation |
Voat Inc (; branded as VOΛT) was a US-based alt-tech news aggregator and social networking service platform where users who registered could submit various content types, including text posts and links, which others could then upvote or downvote. The material was categorized into interest-specific communities known as "subverses." The service was frequently described as a Reddit analog and recognized as a gathering place for the alt-right. CEO Justin Chastain announced the platform’s closure for December 22, 2020, with operations ceasing on December 25, 2020.
Overview
Voat operated as a website combining aggregated content with discussion boards, which Wired noted bore strong aesthetic and functional resemblance to Reddit. Similar to Reddit, Voat organized user submissions into themed groups called "subverses," akin to a bulletin board system. However, the site distinguished itself by enforcing more permissive content policies and implementing a revenue-sharing scheme based on advertising. While Voat was coded in C#, Reddit was built using Python.
Publications like Quartz, The New York Times, and both US and UK versions of Wired identified Voat as a focal point for the alt-right. It was commonly referred to as a Reddit replica or the "alt-right Reddit." A 2017 piece in New Yorker connected Voat with platforms such as 4chan and 8chan, which were known for pushing boundaries through shock content. The Verge described it as "Imzy’s dark counterpart," linking both sites to the cultural conflicts of the Gamergate movement. Furthermore, Voat inspired other "censorship-free" alt-tech ventures including Gab, Parler, and Hatreon.
The name "Voat" is a fusion of 'goat' and 'vote,' symbolized by its goat mascot. The website operated under the top-level domain .co, registered in November 2014.
Company and funding
Initially launched in April 2014 under the name WhoaVerse by Atif Colo (@Atko), then a university student, the site began as a personal project. Justin Chastain (@PuttItOut) joined afterward. The platform aimed to serve as a Reddit alternative emphasizing freedom of expression. In December 2014, WhoaVerse simplified its branding to Voat.
Originally headquartered in Switzerland, Voat incorporated within the United States in August 2015. Colo cited U.S. legal protections for free speech as the reason behind this relocation, aligning with the site's foundational values. Following a large migration of users from Reddit in July 2015, investor attention increased; however, no formal funding deals were secured at that stage.
Colo stepped down from his CEO role in January 2017 due to limited availability, with Chastain assuming leadership thereafter.
Shutdown
In May 2017, Chastain initiated a fundraising effort warning that financial difficulties might force Voat’s closure. After securing an investor partnership, the platform continued operating. On December 22, 2020, Voat once again announced its imminent shutdown citing insufficient funding. CEO Chastain had been covering expenses personally after a major investor defaulted earlier that year in March but exhausted resources by December. The site officially terminated services on December 25, 2020.
History
Throughout its six-year existence, Voat experienced several waves of user migration linked to Reddit's content moderation actions and subreddit removals. In June 2015, Reddit prohibited five subreddits due to harassment issues, including r/fatpeoplehate, which had around 150,000 members. This decision prompted a significant number of users to switch to Voat, temporarily overwhelming the platform. Another influx occurred in July 2015 when Reddit removed a well-known administrator, resulting in further service interruptions.
In November 2016, a portion of Reddit users transitioned to Voat after the r/pizzagate subreddit was banned over concerns involving doxing and harassment. Similarly, in November 2017, the shutdown of the r/incels community on Reddit led some incel participants to relocate to Voat. Following Reddit’s September 2018 prohibition of QAnon-related subreddits—citing violations related to incitement of violence and harassment—many supporters of QAnon also migrated to Voat.
In April 2019, Voat’s CEO revealed that a United States government agency had contacted the platform regarding threatening posts made on the site. He committed to cooperating with authorities and agreed to remove questionable content upon request. This disclosure triggered backlash from users opposed to content regulation, including antisemitic remarks criticizing the moderation approach.
Deplatforming and cyberattacks
In June 2015, Voat’s web hosting provider, Host Europe (later integrated into Webfusion), ended its services citing violations related to hate speech and illegal right-wing extremist material under German legislation. The founder of Voat attributed this action to an overreach of political correctness. Simultaneously, PayPal suspended Voat's payment processing capabilities due to allegations concerning "sexually oriented materials." Consequently, Voat removed four subverses, two of which contained sexualized images involving minors. Despite these setbacks, the platform maintained acceptance of cryptocurrency donations and resumed operations with a new hosting service.
Voat encountered repeated disruptions caused by distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks that impacted its roughly 700,000 unique monthly visitors. In July 2015, both Voat and WikiLeaks were subjected to Bitcoin dusting attacks along with additional DDoS attempts that hindered payment processing functions. While Cloudflare’s DDoS mitigation services helped alleviate these attacks, they also interfered with third-party applications connected to Voat.