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8chan Owner Pledges Changes in House Testimony About Links to Mass Shootings

Reuters

   WASHINGTON - 8chan, the online messageboard linked to several recent
   mass shootings, plans to restrictparts of the website during a "state
   of emergency," siteowner Jim Watkins told a U.S. House panel in a
   writtenstatement.

   Watkins completed his closed-door deposition Thursday,said
   Representative Bennie Thompson,a Mississippi Democrat who chairsthe
   HomelandSecurity Committee,and Ranking Republican Mike Rogersof
   Alabama. The panellast month subpoenaed the American living in the
   Philippines toanswer its questions about whether the website
   "amplifiesextremist views, leading to the radicalization of its users."

   Watkins "provided vast and helpful information to thecommittee about
   the structure, operation and policies of 8Chanand his other companies.
   We look forward to his continuedcooperation with thecommittee as he
   indicated his desire to doso during today's deposition," they said in a
   joint statement.

   "If 8chan comes back online, it will be done when 8chandevelops
   additional tools to counter illegal content underUnited States law,"
   Watkins said in the statement released byhis lawyer.

   "If 8chan returns, staff would implement a way to restrictcertain parts
   of the website during a state of emergency, inwhich case any board in
   question would be put in a read-onlymode until it would be deemed safe
   enough to enable postingagain," it said.

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