BitChute

[[File:BitChute-HateSpeech.logo.png|thumb|right|A more honest logo of the website]]{{internet}}{{altright}}

'''BitChute''' is a (relatively) "[[free speech]]" version of [[YouTube]] with the intended purpose of allowing the [[alt-right]] to host illegal content and [[hate speech]] that got banned from everywhere else. Due to its highly offensive content, BitChute repels almost every payment processing provider and hosting service, and no [[Advertising|advertisers]] will even consider advertising on it. Because of this, it's advertising-free and mainly funded through donations.

BitChute was founded by Ray Vahey in January 2017 as a platform for [[neo-Nazi]]s, [[white supremacist]]s, and alt-right [[troll]]s who had been banned or demonetized on YouTube to carry on posting rubbish to their demented fans. The platform is still mainly composed of far-right hate merchants and [[conspiracy theorists]], with some random [[terrorist]] content, [[gun nut]] videos, and the inevitable pro-[[Donald Trump|Trump]] [[propaganda]] to be found in large quantities. The [[Southern Poverty Law Center]] has described the site as hosting "hate-fueled material".<ref>Michael Edison Hayden, [https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2019/01/11/problem-epik-proportions A Problem of Epik Proportions]. Southern Poverty Law Center, 11 January 2019. {{quotebox|Now, [domain registrar Epik] has picked up the business of BitChute, a low-rent YouTube clone that carries an array of hate-fueled material, including white nationalist podcasts, propaganda linked to a murderous neo-Nazi group and a parody song called "N----- Babies," which chortles at the idea of slaughtering and then eating black infants.}}</ref>

Funnily enough, it is situated in the [[United Kingdom]], and because of this it was eventually compelled to remove hateful or violence-inciting speech at the behest of Ofcom. So although much of its content is still hate speech (as the people posting it are practically their entire user base), it inconsistently censors some of it, pleasing absolutely nobody.<ref>Andrew R.C. Marshall and Joseph Tanfani (August 22, 2022). [https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-media-misinformation/ "New breed of video sites thrives on misinformation and hate"]. ''Reuters''.</ref><ref>(September 12, 2023). [https://cst.org.uk/news/blog/2023/09/12/bitchute-a-case-study-in-how-not-to-run-a-social-media-platform "BitChute – a case study in how not to run a social media platform"]. ''CST Blog''.</ref>

==Technical details==
BitChute videos are limited to a maximum of standard definition quality at 480p, typically at 854x480 resolution, with stereo or mono audio. The site uses MPEG-4 Part 10 (H.264/AVC) for video encoding and Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) at 96 kbit/s for audio encoding, stored using the .MP4 file format. Encoding on BitChute generally uses a lower bit rate and quality than leading video hosting services. Many older videos on BitChute are prone to being unplayable, despite their pages remaining online.

BitChute says it uses a JavaScript-based peer-to-peer {{wpl|WebTorrent}} system that runs locally in a web browser. Everyone using the platform theoretically contributes to its running via this torrenting format. In practice, most or all videos are instead hosted directly by BitChute.<ref>[https://www.dailydot.com/layer8/bitchute-decentralization-claims/ Bitchute claims to be a decentralized platform—that’s not true] - Daily Dot. November 27, 2019<br/></ref><ref group=note>[[8chan]]'s remorseful and/or disgruntled founder Frederick Brennan investigated the site's claims for ''Daily Dot'', and found no evidence of peer-to-peer file sharing. [https://twitter.com/HW_BEAT_THAT/status/1201086238028992513 On Twitter], Brennan mentions that some live-streaming might be peer-to-peer. BitChute responded by telling Brennan that "a change" is coming any day now, without meaningfully addressing any of Brennan's points.</ref> The site does not have advertising (because its content is so toxic that no advertiser will touch it) but instead runs off donations and membership fees. To avoid having their domain name suspended, BitChute uses the [[Epik]] registrar, known for hosting far-right sites.

BitChute viewers can send payments to video creators directly. However, the site has a poor track record with payment service providers, having been banned from using PayPal and other platforms.{{fact}}

===YouTube mirroring===
BitChute allows channels to automatically mirror videos from YouTube to BitChute. Videos were originally mirrored at up to 480p resolution. As of September 17, 2018, the maximum resolution is 360p.

==Content==
===White House mirror===
On August 23, 2018, an unofficial mirror of the White House YouTube channel was created on BitChute.<ref>{{cite web |title=President Trump Participates in a Roundtable |url=https://www.bitchute.com/video/izypcUxIFQA/ |website=BitChute |access-date=May 10, 2021 |date=August 23, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Vice President Pence Delivers Remarks Regarding the Administration's Space Policy Priorities |url=https://www.bitchute.com/video/KjWfxMV7Acg/ |website=BitChute |access-date=May 10, 2021 |date=August 23, 2018}}</ref> As the videos consist of US government works, they fall under the [[public domain]], making it legal for this unofficial mirror to exist. The mirrored content is identical to its YouTube counterpart, including video IDs, although videos deleted on YouTube may remain on BitChute. Videos uploaded before September 17, 2018, may not be accessible on BitChute.

===Bullshit content=== 
The main content on BitChute is content that is banned from YouTube because it is either far-right propaganda, hate speech, or conspiracy content. [[MAGA]], [[conservative]], and pro-Trump content is commonly hosted there (when the neo-Nazi brigade isn't accusing Trump of being a [[Zionist Occupation Government|Zionist shill]]). Shock content is regularly hosted on the platform, and it has hosted the [[Christchurch terrorist attacks|Christchurch shooting video]] and other terrorist content.

Bitchute also contains much conspiracy/New World Order/revisionism-related crankery that got 
censored
 removed from YouTube, with one of the most watched videos being a '''twelve-hour''' documentary called ''Europa: The Last Battle'', which has over 1.79 million views as of April 2024.<ref>https://www.bitchute.com/video/s1nPYDj7KBEQ/</ref> Apparently, for whatever reason, the [[powers that be]] love deleting such "valuable" content off of YouTube but won't touch Bitchute with a light-year-long pole: thus, they're seen fit to continue.

The BitChute video classification tag of not safe for work ([[NSFW]]) and a not safe for life (NSFL) setting for extreme or strongly questionable content, much of which is illegal in numerous countries.

Prominent far-right and alt-right video creators not banned from YouTube cross-post their videos to BitChute, including [[Lauren Southern]], [[Stefan Molyneux]], and [[Paul Joseph Watson]]. The fact that these people are far from the most extreme users on BitChute should tip you off to how fucking awful the site is. A few normal content creators have also moved onto BitChute due to YouTube's incompetent and inconsistent moderation, or back up their videos to BitChute, although they are rapidly buried under an endless flood of alt-right [[bullshit]].

A channel named "Black-Crimes-Matter" (name derived from [[Black Lives Matter]]), produced by the [[Voat]] user SporadicX2, contained highly [[Racism|racist]], [[white supremacist]], and [[Antisemitism|anti-semitic]] material. It had over 9,000 subscribers by October 2020 but was blocked in February 2021 for breaking BitChute's community guidelines. {{fact}} The content was cross-posted to other racist sites, such as [[Gab]]. {{fact}}

==In a nutshell (volume warning)==
{{youtube|nbp8dBi-VD4}}

==See also==
*{{wpl|Rumble (company)|Rumble}}
*{{wpl|Odysee}}
*[[Goyim Defense League]]
*[[PewTube]]

==External links==
*[https://www.bitchute.com/ bitchute.com]

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:2020 election denialists]]
[[Category:Alt-lite]]
[[Category:Alt-right]]
[[Category:Anti-Catholicism]]
[[Category:Antisemitism]]
[[Category:Antifeminism]]
[[Category:Anti-vaccination movement]]
[[Category:Conservative deceit]]
[[Category:Conspiracy theorists]]
[[Category:COVID-19 denialists]]
[[Category:Crank magnetism]]
[[Category:Denialist websites]]
[[Category:Fascism]]
[[Category:Global warming denialists]]
[[Category:Gun nuts]]
[[Category:Holocaust denial]]
[[Category:Homophobia]]
[[Category:Internet]]
[[Category:Internet hate sites]]
[[Category:Islamophobia]]
[[Category:Neo-Nazism]]
[[Category:Propaganda]]
[[Category:Pseudohistory promoters]]
[[Category:Pseudoscience promoters]]
[[Category:Racism]]
[[Category:Sexism]]
[[Category:Shysters]]
[[Category:Terrorism]]
[[Category:Transphobia]]
[[Category:Trolls]]
[[Category:Webshites]]
[[Category:Webshites hosted by Epik]]
[[Category:Social media]]
[[Category:Alt-tech]]

Categories: 2020 election denialists, Alt-lite, Alt-right, Anti-Catholicism, Antisemitism, Antifeminism, Anti-vaccination movement, Conservative deceit, Conspiracy theorists, COVID-19 denialists, Crank magnetism, Denialist websites, Fascism, Global warming denialists, Gun nuts, Holocaust denial, Homophobia, Internet, Internet hate sites, Islamophobia, Neo-Nazism, Propaganda, Pseudohistory promoters, Pseudoscience promoters, Racism, Sexism, Shysters, Terrorism, Transphobia, Trolls, Webshites, Webshites hosted by Epik, Social media, Alt-tech