Popular forum-based website 4chan has come under fire after a white supremacist teenager carried out a mass shooting at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, with many accusing the controversial platform of influencing the shooter. exposing to extremist content.
Gunman Payton Gendron, 18, who killed at least 10 civilians on Saturday May 14, claimed in a 180-page manifesto that he was “radicalized” on the internet during the early days of the Covid pandemic, not by anyone he had met personally. The self-proclaimed white supremacist and anti-Semite said he discovered through his “research” the low white birth rate across the world, and that the “crisis” would “ultimately lead to the complete racial and cultural replacement of the European people”. ”
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Following the tragedy, social media was flooded with claims that Gendron was influenced by alt-right and extremist forums on the popular 4chan picture board.
“According to his manifesto, Payton Gendron claims his radicalization began in 2020 with the discovery of 4chan and materialized in videos of the New Zealand mosque shooter. 2 years. 2 years is all he took to mold the mind of a then 16-year-old,” one Twitter user wrote.
“The scary question is how many more are waiting to go?” another asked.
“Payton Gendron has been radicalized by Fox News and all the alt-right forums on Reddit and 4Chan. At just 18. People stand for ‘free speech’ even when it’s white supremacist ideology that gets people killed “, we read in a comment.
Just to show how sinister that white supremacist Payton Gendron was during that anti-black terrorist attack in Buffalo…
between targeting black victims, he spared the life of a white man he nearly shot and apologized to him pic.twitter.com/D2jvnrz3W6
— Tariq Nasheed 🇺🇸 (@tariqnasheed) May 15, 2022
“So much toxic crap from /pol/ on 4chan. Some gaming communities got infected with it. They formed cult-like groups to harass people or dominate servers. It started years ago. It’s honestly horrifying that this has spread so far and wide, like terminal cancer,” one user offered.
“Some users of 4chan-like platforms claim that many of the graphics that appear in Payton Gendron’s “manifesto” were cut and pasted from 4chan and similar sites, as well as Brenton Tarrant’s “manifesto”. He explicitly cites Tarrant as his inspiration,” someone else said.
“I’ve visited 4chan and the /pol/ forum many times, and it’s all true. The hate is rampant. does when it doesn’t. . It’s one of the most dangerous places in the public domain of the internet,” one claimed.
“4chan is what Twitter will become if the purchase of @elonmusk goes through. Definitely in my mind because it’s almost here already,” added another.
According to his manifesto, Payton Gendron claims his radicalization began in 2020 with the discovery of 4chan, and materialized in videos of the New Zealand mosque shooter. 2 years. 2 years is all it took to shape the mind of a 16 year old.
— Smiling Wombat (@SmirkingWombat) May 14, 2022
The scary question is how many more are waiting to go?
— SaveThePlanet 🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@USAPatriot16) May 15, 2022
Payton Gendron has been radicalized by Fox News and all Alt right forums on Reddit and 4Chan. At only 18 years old. People stand for ‘free speech’ even when it’s white supremacist ideology that gets people killed
— pimp Z 🇵🇸🫧 (@zabdydbaz) May 15, 2022
So much toxic crap from /pol/ on 4chan. Some gaming communities have been infected with it. They formed cult-like groups to harass people or dominate servers. It started years ago. It’s honestly horrifying that it has spread so far and wide, like late-stage cancer.
— Bonnie (@USGovCrisis) May 15, 2022
Some users of 4chan-like platforms claim that many of the graphics that appear in Payton Gendron’s “manifesto” were cut and pasted from 4chan and similar sites, as well as Brenton Tarrant’s “manifesto”. He explicitly cites Tarrant as his inspiration.
— Mike_in_AZ (@mikein_az) May 15, 2022
I’ve visited 4chan and the /pol/ forum many times, and it’s all true. Hatred is rife. There is little or no moderation. It’s easier to get carried away and take it for granted when it’s not. This is one of the most dangerous places on the public internet domain
— Tsunamix (@TsunamixEDM) May 15, 2022
4chan is what Twitter will become if the @Elon Musk the purchase passes. Definitely in my mind because it’s pretty darn close already there.
— Ask for my LSAT score (@Brieezy_F_Baby) May 15, 2022
Who runs 4chan?
4chan, an anonymous picture board website founded by Christopher Poole in October 2003, hosts boards dedicated to a wide variety of topics ranging from anime and manga to video games, weapons, television, literature, politics, sports, etc. In 2022, the website receives over 22 million unique visitors per month.
4chan is currently owned and operated by Hiroyuki Nishimura, a Japanese internet entrepreneur who founded the most viewed Japanese message board called 2channel. Nishimura is also a self-help author and television personality. He previously served as manager and advisor to Niwango, best known for his Nico Nico Douga service. Poole, the creator of 4chan, sold the website to Nishimura in September 2013.
