Bermuda Post

Sunday, Mar 26, 2023

Abortion 'whistleblower' site offline after webhost refuses to host it

Abortion 'whistleblower' site offline after webhost refuses to host it

The website allowing users to report abortion patients to Texas authorities went offline after hosting company GoDaddy said it violated its terms.

A so-called "whistleblower" website that allows users to report suspected abortions in Texas has gone offline after web hosting company GoDaddy said it had violated its terms.

"Last night, we informed prolifewhistleblower.com they have violated GoDaddy's terms of service and have 24 hours to move to a different provider," the company said in a statement on Friday.

The site, run by anti-abortion campaigners Texas Right to Life, was set up in the wake of a new Texas law that effectively outlaws abortions in the US state, making them illegal in all circumstances once a medical professional is able to detect a fetal heartbeat.

The site's owners said on Friday that it would be up and running again with a new provider "within 24 to 48 hours".

However at the time of writing, the whistleblower tip line appears to be offline.

What is Texas' new abortion law?


The new law, known as TX SB8, allows any private citizen to sue Texas abortion providers who violate the law, which bans terminations in all circumstances after around six weeks of pregnancy.

Private citizens can also sue anyone who "aids or abets" patients in getting the procedure. Abortion patients themselves, however, cannot be sued.

Women in Texas have protested the new abortion law, which is the strictest in the United States


TX SB8 does not make exceptions for rape or incest. The person bringing the lawsuit — who does not have to have a connection to the patient getting an abortion — is entitled to at least $10,000 (€8,400) in damages if they prevail in court.

Going offline


Before being taken offline, the prolifewhistleblower website operated as an anonymous tip line for suspected violations of TX SB8.

In the time it was online, the site attracted widespread condemnation, pranks and spam.

In August, TikToker Sean Black shared the code for a bot he had created which enabled users outside Texas to flood the tip line with false reports.


Black claimed that his bot was able to send roughly 300 fake tips before it was blocked by the site.

With GoDaddy's decision to stop hosting the whistleblower tip line on Friday, Texas Right to Life was forced to find an alternative provider.

On Monday, an ICANN search for prolifewhistleblower.com showed the site as being hosted by Epik, an anti-deplatforming web services provider claiming to offer "sovereign hosting" which allows a website to "stay online in the face of the forces that may undermine online content, community or commerce".

Epik previously stepped in to host "free speech" social platforms Gab and Parler when other providers refused due to the proliferation of hate speech on the sites.

However, despite Epik stepping in to host the tip line, the prolifewhistleblower.com address redirected on Monday to the Texas Right to Life homepage.

According to The Verge, this came after Epik claimed to have “persuaded them to stop collecting anonymous tips and to take it off the internet entirely".

Tech companies respond


While GoDaddy's denial of service appears to have directly impacted the functioning of the whistleblower site, other tech firms have lined up to criticise Texas' SB8 law.

Last week, rideshare platforms Uber and Lyft announced they would cover any legal costs for drivers sued under the new law, which could make them liable for dropping patients off at abortion providers.


The law - the most restrictive to have entered into force in the United States - was condemned by Texas-based dating platforms Bumble and Match Group.


Match Group CEO Shar Dubey spoke out against the law in a memo to employees last week.

"I immigrated to America from India over 25 years ago and I have to say, as a Texas resident, I am shocked that I now live in a state where women’s reproductive laws are more regressive than most of the world, including India," she said.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Bermuda Post
Close
0:00
0:00
In a dramatic U-turn against His Government: Judicial Overhaul Legislation Must Be Halted, Says Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant
Powell: Silicon Valley Bank was an 'outlier'
Donald Trump arrested – Twitter goes wild with doctored pictures
NYPD is setting up barricades outside Manhattan Criminal Court ahead of Trump arrest.
Credit Suisse's Scandalous History Resulted in an Obvious Collapse - It's time for regulators who fail to do their job to be held accountable and serve as an example by being behind bars.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman tours potential migrant housing in Rwanda as asylum deal remains mired in legal challenges
Paris Rioting vs Macron anti democratic law
'Sexual Fantasy' Assignment At US School Outrages Parents
Credit Suisse to borrow $54 billion from Swiss central bank
Russian Hackers Preparing New Cyber Assault Against Ukraine
Jeremy Hunt insists his Budget will get young parents and over-50s back into work
If this was in Tehran, Moscow or Hong Kong
Nashville police officer, and a female driver shooting one another
TRUMP: "Standing before you today, I am the only candidate who can make this promise: I will prevent World War III."
Mexican President Claims Mexico is Safer than the U.S.
A brief banking situation report
Lady bites police officer and gets instantly reaction
We are witnessing widespread bank fails and the president just gave a 5 min speech then walked off camera.
Donald Trump's asked by Tucker Carlson question on if the U.S. should support regime change in Russia?.
'No relation to the American SVB': India's SVC Bank acts to calm depositors amid brand name confusion.
Good news: The U.S. government is now guaranteeing all deposits, held by, Silicon Valley Bank, and the funds are available as of today
Silicon Valley Bank exec was Lehman Brothers CFO
In a potential last-ditch effort, HSBC is considering a rescue deal to save Silicon Valley Bank UK from insolvency
BBC Director General, Tim Davie, has apologized, but not resigned, yet, following the disruption of sports programmes over the weekend
Elon Musk Is Planning To Build A Town In Texas For His Employees
The Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse effect is spreading around the world, affecting startup companies across the globe
City officials in Berlin announced on Thursday that all swimmers at public pools will soon be allowed to swim topless
Fitness scam
Market Chaos as USDC Loses Peg to USD after $3.3 Billion Reserves Held by Silicon Valley Bank Closed.
A primitive judge in Australia sparked outrage when he told a breastfeeding woman to leave his courtroom for being “a distraction"
Barcelona is feeling the heat as they face corruption charges over payments to former vice-president of Spain's referees' committee, Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira
Senator Tom Cotton: If the Mexican Government Won’t Stop Cartels from Killing Americans, Then U.S. Government Should
Banking regulators close SVB, the largest bank failure since the financial crisis
The unelected UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, an immigrant himself, defends new controversial crackdown on illegal migration
Old clip of Bill Gates saying Ukraine is a big, fat, corrupt sinkhole is going viral
Man’s penis amputated by mistake after he’s wrongly diagnosed with a tumour
In a major snub to Downing Street's Silicon Valley dreams, UK chip giant Arm has dealt a serious blow to the government's economic strategy by opting for a US listing
How do stolen goods end up on Amazon, eBay and Facebook Marketplace?
It's the question on everyone's lips: could a four-day workweek be the future of employment?
Is Gold the Ultimate Safe Haven Asset in Times of Uncertainty?
Spain officials quit over trains that were too wide for tunnels...
Don Lemon, a CNN anchor, has provided a list of five areas that he believes the black community needs to address.
Hello. Here is our news digest from London.
Corruption and Influence Buying Uncovered in International Mainstream Media: Investigation Reveals Growing Disinformation Mercenaries
Givenchy Store in New York Robbed of $50,000 in Merchandise
European MP Clare Daly condemns US attack on Nord Stream
Former U.S. President Carter will spend his remaining time at home and receive hospice care instead of medication
Tucker Carlson called Trump a 'demonic force'
US Joins 15 NATO Nations in Largest Space Data Collection Initiative in History
White House: No ETs over the United States
×