1. Summary
Gab is an alternative social network founded in 2016 by Andrew Torba as a “free speech” platform with minimal moderation. Under Torba’s leadership, Gab has developed into a digital hub for ideologically motivated communities and artificial intelligence (AI) experimentation. The company’s direction reflects Torba’s advocacy of Christian Nationalism, a movement that merges religion and national identity. This report provides a structured, factual overview of Gab’s operations, controversies, and ideological context.
2. Context and Scope
- Scope: This report integrates verified information from public, academic, and journalistic sources up to October 2025.
- Focus:
- The history, structure, and model of Gab.
- The professional and ideological profile of Andrew Torba.
- The definition and international variations of Christian Nationalism.
- Goal: Offer a concise, neutral synthesis of Gab’s technological model and its ideological influence within global digital culture.
- Tone: Analytical and factual; no political or religious endorsement.
3. Factual Narrative
3.1. Foundation and Structure of Gab
- Founded: 2016, United States.
- Corporate identity: Gab AI, Inc. (Artificial Intelligence Incorporated), headquartered in Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania.
- Founder and CEO: Andrew Torba.
- Core mission: Promote online free expression with minimal content moderation.
- Meaning of “lax moderation”: Gab’s policies are permissive and loosely enforced; users can post almost anything unless it clearly violates minimal rules. This contrasts with strict moderation, where posts are routinely reviewed and removed.
- Main products:
- Gab Social: microblogging platform similar to X (formerly Twitter).
- Gab Pro: subscription-based tier.
- Gab TV, Gab News, and Dissenter: media and browser tools.
- Gab AI: artificial intelligence services and chatbots introduced in 2024.
- Revenue model: Relies on user donations, Pro subscriptions, and merchandise sales.
- User awareness (Pew Research Center, 2023): 11% of U.S. adults had heard of Gab; 1% reported using it for news.
3.2. Controversies and Security Issues
- Content moderation: The platform’s loose policies have led to the concentration of alt-right and extremist users.
- 2018: Microsoft warned Gab about antisemitic posts hosted on its cloud service, prompting Gab to remove some content.
- 2018: The perpetrator of the Tree of Life synagogue attack had posted antisemitic comments on Gab before the event.
- 2021: A massive data breach (about 70 GB) exposed user posts and private messages through Distributed Denial of Secrets (DDoSecrets).
- 2023–2024: Wired reported that Gab’s AI chatbots disseminated Holocaust denial and conspiratorial content.
- Ongoing criticism: Watchdog organizations such as the Anti-Defamation League (ADL, Anti-Defamation League) and the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC, Southern Poverty Law Center) cite Gab as a platform fostering hate speech and disinformation.
3.3. Andrew Torba – Biography and Ideological Positioning
- Nationality: American.
- Education: University of Scranton.
- Career: Entrepreneur; initially associated with the Y Combinator startup accelerator, later removed for online harassment allegations (2016).
- Political evolution:
- Early 2010s: registered Democrat, often voted Republican.
- 2017: identified as “cultural libertarian” and “American nationalist.”
- 2020s: defines himself as a Christian nationalist.
- Publications: Co-authored Christian Nationalism: A Biblical Guide for Taking Dominion and Discipling Nations (2022) with Andrew Isker.
- Key beliefs: Advocates for “parallel Christian institutions” to replace secular systems. Rejects “Judeo-Christian” terminology, arguing for exclusively Christian national identity.
- AI stance: Called secular AI systems like ChatGPT “satanic” and urged development of explicitly Christian models.
3.4. Christian Nationalism – Definition and Evolution
- Definition: A sociopolitical ideology proposing that national identity, governance, and culture should explicitly reflect Christian doctrine.
- Foundations: Rooted in U.S. Protestant conservatism; intensified in the 2010s–2020s amid online radicalization and political polarization.
- Core principles:
- The state should reflect biblical morality.
- Church–State separation is viewed as negative.
- National and Christian identities are seen as inseparable.
- Prominent figures: Andrew Torba, Nick Fuentes, Michael Flynn, and other digital activists.
- Criticism:
- Civil rights organizations view it as exclusionary and potentially authoritarian.
- Academics warn of risks to pluralism and democratic norms.
- Supporters’ defense: Portray it as a movement for moral revival and Christian community building.
3.5. Global Variants of Christian Nationalism
(a) United States
- Dominated by evangelical-protestant communities.
- Digitally organized through platforms like Gab, Truth Social, and Telegram.
- Politically connected to the MAGA (“Make America Great Again”) movement.
(b) Latin America
- Hybrid movement combining evangelical and Catholic elements.
- Focused on conservative social issues: opposition to gender ideology and defense of traditional family structures.
- Prominent in Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, and Chile.
(c) Spain and Europe
- Historical precedent: Franco’s national-Catholicism (1939–1975).
- Contemporary form: cultural defense of Christian heritage rather than explicit political theology.
- Limited organization compared to the U.S. model.
4. Practical Takeaways
- Gab’s identity merges social networking, ideological activism, and experimental AI tools under a free speech narrative.
- Andrew Torba’s leadership links religious ideology with digital entrepreneurship, shaping Gab’s image and policies.
- Christian Nationalism provides the ideological backbone of Gab’s rhetoric, fusing moral, political, and cultural aims.
- Globally, Christian Nationalism varies by context — the U.S. form is digitally militant, Latin American versions are populist and moralist, and European ones are cultural and historical.
- Risks noted by researchers include radicalization, misinformation, and marginalization of minority groups due to weak moderation standards.
5. Sources
- Pew Research Center – “Key facts about Gab”: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/01/24/key-facts-about-gab/
- Australian eSafety Commissioner – “Guide to Gab”: https://www.esafety.gov.au/key-topics/esafety-guide/gab
- Wikipedia – “Gab (social network)”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gab_(social_network)
- Wired – “Gab AI chatbot spreads racist Holocaust denial”: https://www.wired.com/story/gab-ai-chatbot-racist-holocaust/
- Business Insider – “Gab founder Andrew Torba’s Christian Nationalism book”: https://www.businessinsider.com/gab-founder-andrew-torba-book-guide-to-christian-nationalism-2022-10
- Axios – “Microsoft threatens to drop Gab over hate content”: https://www.axios.com/2018/08/09/microsoft-threatens-cloud-hosting-for-gab-1533844281
- The Verge – “Gab loses domain provider over extremist content”: https://www.theverge.com/2017/9/6/16259150/gab-ai-registrar-andrew-anglin-daily-stormer-crackdown
- LifeRaft Labs – “Analyst guide to the Gab data breach”: https://liferaftlabs.com/blog/5-things-every-analyst-should-know-about-gab/
- Frontiers in Sociology – “Radicalization dynamics in alt-tech platforms”: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sociology/articles/10.3389/fsoc.2023.1143263/full
- World Jewish Congress – “Gab’s unmoderated platform fuels antisemitic hate”: https://www.worldjewishcongress.org/en/news/gabs-unmoderated-platform-fuel-antisemitic-hate-warns-foa-and-wjc-report
My Diary - Leonardo Cardillo 