Patreon bans commentator Carl Benjamin ('Sargon of Akkad') for off-platform speech; major creators leave in protest
On December 13, 2018, Patreon permanently banned British YouTuber Carl Benjamin, known as 'Sargon of Akkad,' citing its hate-speech policy and an off-platform video in which Benjamin used a racial slur in a rhetorical exchange with a white-nationalist group. Patreon said it had applied its policies consistently. Benjamin and a cohort of supporters — including Sam Harris, Jordan Peterson, and Dave Rubin — disputed the application and several publicly left the platform; Harris and Rubin later co-founded the competing service Locals.
Dates: Ban December 13–14, 2018; high-profile creator departures December 2018 – January 2019. Parties: Carl Benjamin (Sargon of Akkad); Patreon; Jacqueline Hart (Patreon Trust & Safety); Sam Harris; Jordan Peterson; Dave Rubin. What happened: Patreon banned Benjamin after a YouTube video in which he used a racial slur while debating members of a white-nationalist group. At the time of the ban Benjamin had roughly 850 patrons generating about $12,000 per month. Patreon stated the off-platform conduct violated its hate-speech policy and that the word itself was the violation regardless of context. Patreon's stated reasons: Violation of hate-speech policy through off-platform conduct. Benjamin's allegations: That the slur had been used rhetorically against white nationalists, that the policy was selectively enforced against conservatives, and that Patreon had been pressured to remove him. Outcome: Ban was permanent. Harris, Peterson, and Rubin publicly left Patreon in protest. Harris and Rubin co-founded Locals. The incident accelerated debate over crowdfunding platforms' role as content gatekeepers.