Rumble, a conservative video streaming platform with backing from billionaire Peter Thiel, announced it has rejected a request from the British Parliament to remove comedian Russell Brand from its platform. The news comes just a day after the British Parliament sent letters to social media companies including TikTok, Rumble, and X, demanding that Brand be demonetized.
In a letter dated September 20, Dame Caroline Dinenage, a prominent member of the British Parliament and chair of the Culture, Media, and Sport Committee, wrote to Rumble’s founder and CEO, Chris Pavlovski with concerns the comedian was profiting from the platform.
Dinenage wrote, “While we recognise that Rumble is not the creator of the content published by Mr Brand, we are concerned that he may be able to profit from his content on the platform.”
Dinenage added:
“We would be grateful if you could confirm whether Mr Brand is able to monetise his content, including his videos relating to the serious accusations against him,” Dinenage wrote. If so, we would like to know whether Rumble intends to join YouTube in suspending Mr Brand’s ability to earn money on the platform.”
In response to what he described as an “extremely disturbing” letter from the British Parliament, Rumble’s CEO, Chris Pavlovski, took to social media platform X to issue a robust rebuttal. Pavlovski firmly declined the parliamentary request while raising concerns that the Culture, Media, and Sport Committee had specifically singled out comedian Russell Brand in their inquiry.
“Today we received an extremely disturbing letter from a committee chair in the UK parliament,” Pavlovski wrote. “While Rumble obviously deplores sexual assault, rape, and all serious crimes, and believes that both alleged victims and the accused are entitled to a full and serious investigation, it is vital to note that recent allegations against Russell Brand have nothing to do with the content on Rumble’s platform.”
“We regard it as deeply inappropriate and dangerous that the UK Parliament would attempt to control who is allowed to speak on our platform or to earn a living from doing so. Singling out an individual and demanding his ban is even more disturbing given the absence of any connection between the allegations and his content on Rumble. We don’t agree with the behavior of many Rumble creators, but we refuse to penalize them for actions that have nothing to do with our platform,” Pavlovski wrote.
Attached is the letter from the UK Parliament. pic.twitter.com/MdeYrlt06J
— Rumble – 🏴☠️ $RUM (@rumblevideo) September 20, 2023
Concluding his letter, Pavlovski wrote:
“Although it may be politically and socially easier for Rumble to join a cancel culture mob, doing so would be a violation of our company’s values and mission. We emphatically reject the UK Parliament’s demands.”
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- Source: https://techstartups.com/2023/09/22/rumble-says-its-rejects-a-disturbing-request-from-uk-parliament-to-de-platform-and-demonetize-russell-brand/
