GoDaddy has said it will no longer host a neo-Nazi and white supremacist website that published vitriolic comments about a woman killed during violence at a far-right rally in Virginia at the weekend.
Heather Heyer, a 32-year-old who was demonstrating against white nationalists in Charlottesville, was killed when a car ploughed into a group of peaceful protesters who were holding signs saying “black lives matter” and “love”. A man has now been charged with her murder.
The Daily Stormer, a neo-Nazi site that hosts sections titled the “Jewish Problem” and “Race Wars”, attacked Heyer just hours after her death, viciously commenting on her appearance and lifestyle.
After being inundated by tweets from outraged activists, web-hosting company GoDaddy announced it would no longer host the site, saying it had violated its terms of service.
However, the move has led many to question why GoDaddy hosted the white nationalist site, which was launched in 2013, for so long:
GoDaddy has yet to respond to HuffPost’s requests for comment.
However, in a statement to the New York Daily News, a spokesperson for the company said: “Given this latest article comes on the immediate heels of a violent attack, we believe this type of article could incite additional violence, which violates our terms of service.”
A message on the Daily Stormer this morning suggested the site may have also been targeted by international hacking collective Anonymous over its comments about Heyer.
“We have taken this site in the name of Heather Heyer, a victim of white supremacist terrorism,” a message on the site read.
“For too long The Daily Stormer and Andrew Anglin have spewed their putrid hate on this site. That will not be happening anymore.”
However, some experts have cast doubt over whether the site has been hacked by an established member of Anonymous, with others claiming it was a stunt by the Daily Stormer itself.
The Daily Stormer made headlines over the weekend for praising Donald Trump’s response to the violence in Charlottesville.
The president outraged politicians across the spectrum when he failed to blame white supremacists for inciting violence, instead condemning “many sides” for the events.
The website’s founder Andrew Anglin wrote: “No condemnation at all. When asked to condemn [Trump] just walked out of the room.
“Really, really good. God bless him.”