Epik

Epik was founded in Washington in 2009 by Rob Monster, who served as the company's chief executive officer until 2022.Epik is primarily known for its domain name registration services, and, until its ownership change in 2022, described itself as the "Swiss bank of the domain industry". {{As of|2022|1}}, Epik was the 22nd largest domain registrar in the United States and 47th largest globally, as measured by the number of domains registered through the company.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=January 2022 |title=Total Domains by Registrar |url=https://www.registrarowl.com/report_registrar_total_domains.php?filter_selected=1&fltr_ctry=1&fltr_tld=&fltr_ctype=1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230319224750/https://www.registrarowl.com/report_registrar_total_domains.php?filter_selected=1&fltr_ctry=1&fltr_tld=&fltr_ctype=1 |archive-date=March 19, 2023 |access-date=February 13, 2024 |website=Registrar Owl |url-status=live }}

Until 2018, Epik primarily focused on domain trading and mostly stayed out of the public spotlight.{{Cite web |last=Allyn |first=Bobby |date=February 8, 2021 |title='Lex Luthor Of The Internet': Meet The Man Keeping Far-Right Websites Alive |url=https://www.npr.org/2021/02/08/965448572/meet-the-man-behind-epik-the-tech-firm-keeping-far-right-websites-alive |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209015232/https://www.npr.org/2021/02/08/965448572/meet-the-man-behind-epik-the-tech-firm-keeping-far-right-websites-alive |archive-date=February 9, 2021 |access-date=February 9, 2021 |website=NPR |language=en}}{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2021-12-09 |title=Epik is a refuge for the deplatformed far right. Here's why its CEO insists on doing it |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/09/business/epik-hack-ceo-rob-monster-invs/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230524041118/https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/09/business/epik-hack-ceo-rob-monster-invs/index.html |archive-date=2023-05-24 |access-date=2023-07-15 |website=CNN |language=en}} Following a series of acquisitions in 2019, Epik also began providing an increasing variety of other web services including web hosting, content delivery network (CDN) services, and DDoS protection.{{Cite web |last=Makuch |first=Ben |date=August 5, 2019 |title=The Far Right's Internet Protector Goes Down After Taking In 8chan |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-far-rights-internet-protector-goes-down-after-taking-in-8chan/ |access-date=September 26, 2021 |website=Vice |language=en |archive-date=December 1, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211201013739/https://www.vice.com/en/article/8xw4ea/the-far-rights-internet-protector-goes-down-after-taking-in-8chan |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Brodkin |first=Jon |date=September 7, 2021 |title=Even Epik says the Texas abortion "whistleblower" site violates its rules |url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2021/09/even-epik-says-the-texas-abortion-whistleblower-site-violates-its-rules/ |access-date=September 26, 2021 |website=Ars Technica |language=en-us |archive-date=September 26, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210926174728/https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2021/09/even-epik-says-the-texas-abortion-whistleblower-site-violates-its-rules/ |url-status=live }}

In September 2022, Monster stepped down as CEO and installed Brian Royce as his successor.{{Cite press release |title=Epik Holdings, Inc. Founder Appoints Successor CEO |date=September 2, 2022 |publisher=EIN Presswire |url=https://www.einpresswire.com/article/588955207/epik-holdings-inc-founder-appoints-successor-ceo |access-date=February 13, 2024 |archive-date=June 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230604211639/https://www.einpresswire.com/article/588955207/epik-holdings-inc-founder-appoints-successor-ceo |url-status=live}}{{Cite web |last=Allemann |first=Andrew |date=2022-09-02 |title=Epik gets new CEO as Rob Monster moves to non-executive role |url=https://domainnamewire.com/2022/09/02/epik-gets-new-ceo-as-rob-monster-moves-to-non-executive-role/ |access-date=2024-11-25 |website=Domain Name Wire {{!}} Domain Name News |language=en-US}} After repaying debts to avoid litigation, and amid allegations of financial misconduct by Monster, on June 8, 2023, Epik.com and its associated domain registrar platform were sold to Epik LLC.{{cite news |last1=Allemann |first1=Andrew |date=3 June 2023 |title=Epik is sold |url=https://domainnamewire.com/2023/06/03/epik-is-sold/ |access-date=13 June 2023 |work=Domain Name Wire {{!}} Domain Name News |archive-date=12 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230612153044/https://domainnamewire.com/2023/06/03/epik-is-sold/ |url-status=live}}{{Cite magazine |last=Turton |first=William |date=February 8, 2024 |title=The Far Right's Favorite Web Host Has a Shadowy New Owner |url=https://www.wired.com/story/epik-domain-registrar-new-owner/ |access-date=February 13, 2024 |magazine=Wired |language=en-US |issn=1059-1028 |archive-date=February 13, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240213021939/https://www.wired.com/story/epik-domain-registrar-new-owner/ |url-status=live }} Epik LLC is owned by Registered Agents Inc., a registered agent company founded by Dan Keen. Registered agents act as official points of contact for companies, allowing business owners to maintain privacy.{{Cite news |last1=Will |first1=Fitzgibbon |last2=Cenziper |first2=Debbie |last3=Crites |first3=Alice |date=April 5, 2022 |title=The gatekeepers who help open America to oligarchs and scammers |url=https://www.icij.org/investigations/pandora-papers/the-gatekeepers-who-help-open-america-to-oligarchs-and-scammers/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240305205425/https://www.icij.org/investigations/pandora-papers/the-gatekeepers-who-help-open-america-to-oligarchs-and-scammers/ |archive-date=March 5, 2024 |access-date=March 10, 2024 |work=International Consortium of Investigative Journalists}}{{Cite news |last=Czaban |first=Kristen |date=November 25, 2020 |title=Commercial registered agents bring business with unintended consequences |url=https://www.thesheridanpress.com/news/local/commercial-registered-agents-bring-business-with-unintended-consequences/article_8959264a-2e78-11eb-8fab-9b8d11be00ee.html |access-date=March 10, 2024 |work=The Sheridan Press |archive-date=February 20, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240220073257/https://www.thesheridanpress.com/news/local/commercial-registered-agents-bring-business-with-unintended-consequences/article_8959264a-2e78-11eb-8fab-9b8d11be00ee.html |url-status=live }} The sale was finalized in January 2024 after ICANN approved the transfer.{{cite web |last1=Zournas |first1=Konstantinos |title=ICANN finalizes transfer of EPIK registrar accreditation |url=https://onlinedomain.com/2024/02/01/domain-name-news/icann-finalizes-transfer-of-epik-registrar-accreditation/ |website=OnlineDomain.com |access-date=8 November 2024 |date=1 February 2024}} Epik made changes to its terms of service during the ICANN review that saw the company remove violators and “problematic clients” from its platform.{{Cite web |last=Collins |first=Benedict |date=2024-02-09 |title=The world's most controversial domain registrar has a new owner — and apparently it is "forging a new path" |url=https://www.techradar.com/pro/the-worlds-most-controversial-domain-registrar-has-a-new-owner-and-apparently-it-is-forging-a-new-path |access-date=2024-11-25 |website=TechRadar |language=en}}

Epik board members have included Braden Pollock and Tal Moore.{{Cite web |last=Schulberg |first=Jessica |date=December 12, 2018 |title=The Bible-Thumping Tech CEO Who's Proud Of Keeping Neo-Nazis Online |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/rob-monster-epik-gab-neo-nazi_n_5c17bb29e4b05d7e5d846f72 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181224234529/https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/rob-monster-epik-gab-neo-nazi_us_5c17bb29e4b05d7e5d846f72 |archive-date=December 24, 2018 |access-date=May 5, 2019 |website=HuffPost |language=en}}Rob Davis served as senior vice president for strategy and communications.{{Cite news |last1=Turton |first1=William |last2=Brustein |first2=Joshua |date=April 14, 2021 |title=A 23-Year-Old Coder Kept QAnon Online When No One Else Would |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2021-04-14/qanon-daily-stormer-far-right-have-been-kept-online-by-nick-lim-s-vanwatech |access-date=2021-04-16 |work=Bloomberg Businessweek |language=en |archive-date=2021-04-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210416034525/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2021-04-14/qanon-daily-stormer-far-right-have-been-kept-online-by-nick-lim-s-vanwatech |url-status=live }} Moore left the board in December 2018, over the company's choice to host Gab. Peterson left the company in 2019, and said that he left shortly after Monster began a company staff meeting by asking employees to watch the video of the Christchurch mosque shootings, which he said would prove to them that the attack had been faked. Pollock had also resigned by the summer of 2020, citing ideological differences.

{{anchor|Sibyl Systems|BitMitigate}}

In February 2019, it was announced that Epik had acquired BitMitigate, an American cybersecurity company based in Vancouver, Washington. BitMitigate protects websites against potential threats including distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. The company continues to operate as a division of Epik, and BitMitigate's founder Nicholas Lim briefly served as Epik's chief technology officer.{{Cite web|url=https://www.columbian.com/news/2019/feb/15/epik-buys-vancouver-based-bitmitigate/|title=Epik buys Vancouver-based BitMitigate|last=Macuk|first=Anthony|date=February 15, 2019|website=The Columbian|language=en|access-date=May 10, 2019|archive-date=May 10, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190510171545/https://www.columbian.com/news/2019/feb/15/epik-buys-vancouver-based-bitmitigate/|url-status=live}}

Epik acquired web hosting company Sibyl Systems Ltd. in 2019.{{Cite journal|last1=Van Dijck|first1=José|last2=de Winkel|first2=Tim|last3=Schäfer|first3=Mirko Tobias|date=2021-09-23|title=Deplatformization and the governance of the platform ecosystem|journal=New Media & Society|volume=25 |issue=12 |language=en|pages=3438–3454|doi=10.1177/14614448211045662|s2cid=239078130|issn=1461-4448|quote=Epik purchased webhosting platform Sybil [sic] Systems in 2019 as well as several other related services.|doi-access=free}}{{Cite web|last=Squire|first=Megan|date=July 23, 2019|title=Can Alt-Tech Help the Far Right Build an Alternate Internet?|url=https://www.fairobserver.com/business/technology/alt-tech-far-right-online-extremism-hate-speech-technology-news-19919/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200918141929/https://www.fairobserver.com/business/technology/alt-tech-far-right-online-extremism-hate-speech-technology-news-19919/|archive-date=September 18, 2020|access-date=January 14, 2021|website=Fair Observer|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|last=Hackney|first=Raymond|date=August 30, 2019|title=How low will .coms at Epik go? Namepros members will decide|url=https://tldinvestors.com/2019/08/how-low-will-coms-at-epik-go-namepros-members-will-decide.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201030185755/https://tldinvestors.com/2019/08/how-low-will-coms-at-epik-go-namepros-members-will-decide.html|archive-date=October 30, 2020|access-date=January 14, 2021|website=TLD Investors|language=en-US}}{{Better source needed|date=January 2021}} Sibyl was founded in 2018, and according to the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) was possibly based in Norway or in England.{{Cite web|last1=Dougherty|first1=John|last2=Hayden|first2=Michael Edison|date=January 24, 2019|title=How Gab Has Raised Millions Thanks to This Crowdfunding Company|url=https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2019/01/24/how-gab-has-raised-millions-thanks-crowdfunding-company|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190127155826/https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2019/01/24/how-gab-has-raised-millions-thanks-crowdfunding-company|archive-date=January 27, 2019|access-date=January 27, 2019|publisher=Southern Poverty Law Center}}{{cite news|last1=Dougherty|first1=John|last2=Hayden|first2=Michael Edison|date=February 14, 2019|title='No Way' Gab Has 800,000 Users, Web Host Says|work=Hatewatch|publisher=Southern Poverty Law Center|url=https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2019/02/14/no-way-gab-has-800000-users-web-host-says|url-status=live|access-date=February 15, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190214234640/https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2019/02/14/no-way-gab-has-800000-users-web-host-says|archive-date=February 14, 2019}} Sibyl was known for providing hosting services to Gab, following its termination by its previous web host due to the service's use by the perpetrator of the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting. In February 2019, the SPLC as a "shadowy operation with little transparency... a murky history of ownership and no fixed base of operations".

When Epik began providing services to 8chan in August 2019, after the imageboard was taken offline by its host when it was discovered that the perpetrator of the 2019 El Paso shooting allegedly posted his manifesto on the site, several service providers stopped providing services to Epik. In August 2019, web services company Voxility banned Epik after determining it was hosting 8chan.

That same week, Amazon said it was "trying to find out whether any Amazon Web Services infrastructure is indirectly supporting 8chan through Epik," as 8chan's content violated Amazon's Acceptable Use Policy. Epik reported it would no longer provide web hosting services for 8chan due to "the concern of inadequate enforcement and the elevated possibility of violent radicalization on the platform."{{Cite web|last=Nickelsburg|first=Monica|date=August 8, 2019|title=Amazon seeks to root out any ties to 8chan, as tech firms grapple with implications of extremist sites|url=https://www.geekwire.com/2019/amazon-seeks-root-ties-8chan-tech-firms-grapple-implications-extremist-sites/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009021725/https://www.geekwire.com/2019/amazon-seeks-root-ties-8chan-tech-firms-grapple-implications-extremist-sites/|archive-date=October 9, 2020|access-date=October 26, 2020|website=GeekWire|language=en-US}} On August 9, cloud hosting provider Linode informed Epik they would be terminating services to the company.

In October 2020, financial services provider PayPal terminated service for Epik due to financial risk concerns.{{Cite web|last=Fingas|first=Jon|date=October 25, 2020|title=PayPal drops domain registrar Epik over its 'alternative' digital currency|url=https://www.engadget.com/paypal-terminates-epik-over-digital-currency-182020052.html|access-date=October 25, 2020|website=Engadget|language=en|archive-date=October 26, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201026074104/https://www.engadget.com/paypal-terminates-epik-over-digital-currency-182020052.html|url-status=live}} The company didn't define the risks, but Mashable alleged that PayPal's concerns were related to Epik's alternative currency, Masterbucks, and that PayPal terminated service because Epik allegedly had not taken the proper legal steps to offer it. Mashable also reported that the termination was partly due to concerns by PayPal that the site was encouraging tax evasion by advertising the "tax advantages" of using Masterbucks. Epik accused PayPal of terminating service because they were biased against conservatives.{{Cite web|last=Binder|first=Matt|date=October 23, 2020|title=Home to Proud Boys domain, Gab, and other right-wing sites posts unhinged letters after PayPal cuts ties|url=https://mashable.com/article/epik-domain-names-paypal-proud-boys/|access-date=October 24, 2020|website=Mashable|language=en|archive-date=October 24, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201024045015/https://mashable.com/article/epik-domain-names-paypal-proud-boys/|url-status=live}}

{{Main|2021 Epik data breach}}

On September 13, 2021, hackers identifying as part of the Anonymous hacktivist group announced they had obtained access to what they called "a decade's worth" of personal data, including all domains ever registered or hosted with the company, account credentials, including approximately 15 million email addresses scraped from WHOIS records,{{Cite web|last=Sharma|first=Ax|date=September 20, 2021|title=Epik data breach impacts 15 million users, including non-customers|url=https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2021/09/epik-data-breach-impacts-15-million-users-including-non-customers/|access-date=September 20, 2021|website=Ars Technica|language=en-us|archive-date=September 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210920131157/https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2021/09/epik-data-breach-impacts-15-million-users-including-non-customers/|url-status=live}}{{Cite web |last=Ropek |first=Lucas |date=September 14, 2021 |title=Anonymous Claims to Have Stolen Huge Trove of Data From Epik, the Right-Wing's Favorite Web Host |url=https://gizmodo.com/anonymous-claims-to-have-stolen-huge-trove-of-data-from-1847673935 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210914220307/https://gizmodo.com/anonymous-claims-to-have-stolen-huge-trove-of-data-from-1847673935 |archive-date=September 14, 2021 |access-date=September 14, 2021 |website=Gizmodo |language=en-us}} employee emails and unidentified private keys.{{Cite web|last=Goforth|first=Claire|date=September 14, 2021|title=Anonymous to release massive data set of the far-right's preferred web hosting company|url=https://www.dailydot.com/debug/anonymous-hack-far-right-web-host-epik/|access-date=September 14, 2021|website=The Daily Dot|language=en-US|archive-date=September 14, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210914170758/https://www.dailydot.com/debug/anonymous-hack-far-right-web-host-epik/|url-status=live}}{{Cite news |last=Harwell |first=Drew |date=7 October 2021 |title=Hackers are waging a guerrilla war on tech companies, revealing secrets and raising fears of collateral damage |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/10/07/twitch-epik-hack-hacktivist/ |access-date=10 December 2024 |newspaper=Washington Post}} The 180 gigabytes of data was curated by the Distributed Denial of Secrets group,Journalists and security researchers subsequently confirmed the veracity of the hack and the types of data that had been exposed.{{Cite web |last=Cimpanu |first=Catalin |date=September 15, 2021 |title=Anonymous hacks and leaks data from domain registrar Epik |url=https://therecord.media/anonymous-hacks-and-leaks-data-from-domain-registrar-epik/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210916033547/https://therecord.media/anonymous-hacks-and-leaks-data-from-domain-registrar-epik/ |archive-date=September 16, 2021 |access-date=September 16, 2021 |website=The Record by Recorded Future |language=en}}{{Cite news|last=Leloup|first=Damien|date=September 20, 2021|title=Epik, l'hébergeur Web favori de l'extrême droite américaine, victime d'un piratage d'ampleur|language=fr|trans-title=Epik, the favorite webhost of the American far right, victim of major hack|work=Le Monde|url=https://www.lemonde.fr/pixels/article/2021/09/20/epik-l-hebergeur-web-favori-de-l-extreme-droite-americaine-victime-d-un-piratage-d-ampleur_6095330_4408996.html|access-date=September 20, 2021|archive-date=September 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210920213200/https://www.lemonde.fr/pixels/article/2021/09/20/epik-l-hebergeur-web-favori-de-l-extreme-droite-americaine-victime-d-un-piratage-d-ampleur_6095330_4408996.html|url-status=live}}

Epik initially denied knowledge of the breach (one engineer described them as being “fully compromised end-to-end.. maybe the worst I've ever seen in my 20-year career" to The Daily Dot),{{Cite web |last=Sharma |first=Ax |date=September 15, 2021 |title=Anonymous leaks gigabytes of data from alt-right web host Epik |url=https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2021/09/anonymous-leaks-gigabytes-of-data-from-epik-web-host-of-gab-and-parler/ |access-date=September 16, 2021 |website=Ars Technica |language=en-us |archive-date=September 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210915230031/https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2021/09/anonymous-leaks-gigabytes-of-data-from-epik-web-host-of-gab-and-parler/ |url-status=live}} leading to the attackers vandalizing Epik’s support website. On September 15, the company sent an email notifying customers of an incident,{{Cite web|last=Thalen|first=Mikael|date=September 16, 2021|title='Worst I've seen in 20 years': How the Epik hack reveals every secret the far-right tried to hide|url=https://www.dailydot.com/debug/epik-hack-far-right-sites-anonymous/|access-date=September 16, 2021|website=The Daily Dot|language=en-US|archive-date=September 16, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210916140235/https://www.dailydot.com/debug/epik-hack-far-right-sites-anonymous/|url-status=live}} which was confirmed as a hack by Rob Monster via a public video conference the next day, which Le Monde characterized as "possibly one of the strangest responses to a computer security incident in history".{{Cite web|last=Thalen|first=Mikael|date=September 17, 2021|title=Epik CEO's live video response to hacking incident descends into complete chaos|url=https://www.dailydot.com/debug/epik-ceos-live-video-response-hacking-inciden/|access-date=September 17, 2021|website=The Daily Dot|language=en-US|archive-date=September 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210917181755/https://www.dailydot.com/debug/epik-ceos-live-video-response-hacking-inciden/|url-status=live}} The company confirmed the breach the following day, and on the 19th, began informing customers.

Anonymous would later release additional data on September 29 and October 4, 2021, including 300 gigabytes of bootable disk images and API keys for third-party services used by Epik, and disk images and data belonging to the Republican Party of Texas.{{Cite web|last=Thalen|first=Mikael|date=October 4, 2021|title=Anonymous releases data on Texas GOP in latest Epik hack dump|url=https://www.dailydot.com/debug/anonymous-texas-gop-epik/|access-date=October 4, 2021|website=The Daily Dot|language=en-US|archive-date=October 4, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211004144602/https://www.dailydot.com/debug/anonymous-texas-gop-epik/|url-status=live}} The defacement of the party's website in September 2021 was later attributed to the breach, according to Cyberscoop.{{Cite web |last=djohnson |date=2025-03-31 |title=DOJ charges hacker for 2021 Texas GOP website defacement |url=https://cyberscoop.com/department-of-justice-charges-hacker-aubrey-cottle-texas-republican-website-defacement/ |access-date=2025-05-08 |website=CyberScoop |language=en-US}}

Epik is known for providing services to websites with far-right content, such as the social network Gab, video hosting service BitChute, and conspiracy theory website InfoWars.{{Cite web|last=Hayden|first=Michael Edison|date=January 11, 2019|title=A Problem of Epik Proportions|url=https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2019/01/11/problem-epik-proportions|access-date=May 5, 2019|website=Southern Poverty Law Center|language=en|archive-date=January 12, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190112081948/https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2019/01/11/problem-epik-proportions|url-status=live}} It was described in 2019 by Vice as "a safehaven for the extreme right" and in 2021 by The Seattle Times as "a home for far-right websites" because of its willingness to host far-right websites that have been denied service by other Internet service providers.{{Cite news|last=Long|first=Katherine Khashimova|date=January 11, 2021|title=Parler, booted by Amazon, takes step toward relaunching with Eastside Firm|work=The Seattle Times|url=https://www.seattletimes.com/business/technology/pro-trump-social-media-site-parler-booted-by-amazon-takes-step-toward-relaunching-with-bellevue-firm/|access-date=February 6, 2021|archive-date=February 4, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210204180117/https://www.seattletimes.com/business/technology/pro-trump-social-media-site-parler-booted-by-amazon-takes-step-toward-relaunching-with-bellevue-firm/|url-status=live}}{{refn|}} In 2021, The Daily Telegraph wrote that Epik was "a safe harbour for websites said to be enabling the spread far-right extremism and carrying Neo-Nazi content";{{Cite news|last=Meaker|first=Morgan|date=January 18, 2021|title=Epik: The domain registrar keeping extremist websites online|language=en-GB|work=The Daily Telegraph|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2021/01/18/epik-domain-registrar-keeping-extremist-websites-online/|url-status=live|url-access=subscription|access-date=January 19, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210119154814/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2021/01/18/epik-domain-registrar-keeping-extremist-websites-online/|archive-date=January 19, 2021|issn=0307-1235}} the same year, Fortune called the company the "right wing's best friend online". NPR reported in February 2021 that "when websites flooded with hate speech or harmful disinformation become too radioactive for the Internet, the sites often turn to [Epik] for a lifeline."

Epik has provided services for websites, platforms, and groups including Parler, 8chan, Gab, BitChute, Patriots.win, The Daily Stormer, InfoWars, One America News Network, AR15.com, Kiwi Farms, the Proud Boys, and the Oath Keepers.{{refn|name="clients-list"|Epik has provided services for:

• Parler
• 8chan
• Gab
• BitChute{{Cite web|last=McKay|first=Tom|date=January 21, 2021|title=House Oversight Committee Asks FBI to Investigate Parler|url=https://gizmodo.com/house-oversight-committee-asks-fbi-to-investigate-parle-1846105887|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210205193553/https://gizmodo.com/house-oversight-committee-asks-fbi-to-investigate-parle-1846105887|archive-date=February 5, 2021|access-date=February 6, 2021|website=Gizmodo|language=en-us|url-status=live}}
• Patriots.win
• The Daily Stormer{{refn|name="TheDailyStormer-group"|{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/06/us/white-supremacists-extend-their-reach-through-websites.html|title=White Supremacists Extend Their Reach Through Websites|work=The New York Times|author=Wines, Michael|date=July 5, 2015|access-date=October 6, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151024105304/http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/06/us/white-supremacists-extend-their-reach-through-websites.html|archive-date=October 24, 2015|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}{{cite news|last1=Pearce|first1=Matt|title=What happens when a millennial goes fascist? He starts up a neo-Nazi site|url=https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-daily-stormer-interview-20150624-story.html|access-date=August 22, 2015|work=Los Angeles Times|date=June 24, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150816145444/http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-daily-stormer-interview-20150624-story.html|archive-date=August 16, 2015|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}{{cite news|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/neo-nazi-holocaust-denial-legal-defense_us_5a612a5ce4b0125fd6354368|title=American Neo-Nazi Is Using Holocaust Denial As A Legal Defense|last=O'Brien|first=Luke|date=January 19, 2018|work=HuffPost|access-date=April 25, 2018|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180423215540/https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/neo-nazi-holocaust-denial-legal-defense_us_5a612a5ce4b0125fd6354368|archive-date=April 23, 2018|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/12/the-making-of-an-american-nazi/544119/|title=The Making of an American Nazi|last=O'Brein|first=Luke|date=December 2017|website=The Atlantic|access-date=April 4, 2018|quote=As Anglin would later write, the official policy of his site was: "Jews should be exterminated."|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180404175039/https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/12/the-making-of-an-american-nazi/544119/|archive-date=April 4, 2018|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}}}
• InfoWars
• One America News Network{{Cite news|last1=Harwell|first1=Drew|last2=Allam|first2=Hannah|author-link2=Hannah Allam|last3=Merrill|first3=Jeremy B.|last4=Timberg|first4=Craig|date=September 25, 2021|title=Fallout begins for far-right trolls who trusted Epik to keep their identities secret|language=en-US|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/09/25/epik-hack-fallout/|access-date=September 25, 2021|issn=0190-8286|archive-date=September 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210925145339/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/09/25/epik-hack-fallout/|url-status=live}}
• AR15.com
• Kiwi Farms{{cite news |last1=Barr |first1=Kyle |title=Adrift Online Cesspool Kiwi Farms Finds a New Port, but Its Struggles Are Far From Over |url=https://gizmodo.com/kiwi-farm-cloudfare-vanwatech-8kun-1849505214 |work=Gizmodo |date=September 7, 2022 |access-date=November 28, 2022 |archive-date=November 1, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221101163416/https://gizmodo.com/kiwi-farm-cloudfare-vanwatech-8kun-1849505214 |url-status=live }}
• Proud Boys{{Cite web|last=Stanley|first=Alyse|date=January 17, 2021|title=Parler's Back from the Dead With a Domain Registered to Epik, Home to Gab and Daily Stormer|url=https://gizmodo.com/parlers-back-from-the-dead-with-a-domain-registered-to-1846078655|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210204022059/https://gizmodo.com/parlers-back-from-the-dead-with-a-domain-registered-to-1846078655|archive-date=February 4, 2021|access-date=February 6, 2021|website=Gizmodo|language=en-us|url-status=live}}
• Oath Keepers{{Cite web|last=Hernandez|first=Salvador|date=January 13, 2021|title=A Major Militia Group Said Its Website Was Taken Down Days After It Sent Members To The Capitol Riots|url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/salvadorhernandez/oath-keepers-website-epik-down|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210113231950/https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/salvadorhernandez/oath-keepers-website-epik-down|archive-date=January 13, 2021|access-date=February 6, 2021|website=BuzzFeed News|language=en|url-status=live}}}} Bobby Allyn writing for NPR has described the websites Epik services: "Spend a few minutes on these sites, conspiracy theories about the 2020 presidential election, vaccines and mass shootings are not hard to find, not to mention a steady stream of bigoted content about Jews, women and people of color."

Epik describes itself as a protector of free speech, and its past CEO Rob Monster defended its decisions to host extremist content as being a part of Epik's commitment to "welcome all views, without bias or preference". Monster had said he was repudiating "cancel culture" and Big Tech. In May 2019, the Counter Extremism Project's Joshua Fisher-Birch criticized Epik for this stance, saying that, "while Epik portrays this as a noble exercise in anti-censorship, they're making a business decision to continue to amplify voices calling for violence." In February 2021, Michael Edison Hayden of the SPLC said that although hate speech can be found throughout the internet, including on mainstream social networks like Facebook and Twitter, "The difference is there are people with terroristic ambitions plotting out in the open, producing propaganda that they seek to use to kind of encourage violence. And those are the kind of websites Rob Monster is willing to pick up."

{{see also|Parler}}

In January 2021, the alt-tech social network Parler transferred its domain name registration to Epik, following the termination of its hosting and support services by other providers on account of it being "overrun" with death threats and celebrations of violence.{{Cite web|last=Binder|first=Matt|title=Parler transfers domain name to Epik, domain registrar of choice for the far right|url=https://mashable.com/article/parler-domain-name-epik/|access-date=2021-01-12|website=Mashable|date=11 January 2021|language=en|archive-date=2021-01-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210111233418/https://mashable.com/article/parler-domain-name-epik/|url-status=live}}{{cite news|last1=Greenspan|first1=Rachel E.|title=Parler moves to Epik, a domain registrar known for hosting far-right extremist content|work=Business Insider|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/parler-moves-to-epik-domain-known-for-hosting-far-right-2021-1|access-date=12 January 2021|archive-date=12 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210112165414/https://www.businessinsider.com/parler-moves-to-epik-domain-known-for-hosting-far-right-2021-1|url-status=live}} According to Fortune, Epik provided Parler with advice on running the service, including adding moderators, improving systems to detect harmful posts, and changing their terms of service.{{Cite web|last=Abril|first=Danielle|date=January 19, 2021|title=Meet Epik, the right-wing's best friend online|url=https://fortune.com/2021/01/19/epik-parler-web-domain-dns-provider-gab-conservatives-social-media/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210119195609/https://fortune.com/2021/01/19/epik-parler-web-domain-dns-provider-gab-conservatives-social-media/|archive-date=January 19, 2021|access-date=January 19, 2021|website=Fortune|language=en}}

{{See also|8chan}}

On August 5, 2019, Epik competitor Cloudflare announced that in the wake of the 2019 El Paso shooting they would no longer be providing services to 8chan, a far-right imageboard known as a location for hateful content and child sexual abuse material,{{Cite news|last=Wong|first=Julia Carrie|author-link=Julia Carrie Wong |date=August 5, 2019|title=8chan: the far-right website linked to the rise in hate crimes|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/aug/04/mass-shootings-el-paso-texas-dayton-ohio-8chan-far-right-website|access-date=August 11, 2019|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=August 21, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190821023116/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/aug/04/mass-shootings-el-paso-texas-dayton-ohio-8chan-far-right-website|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|last=Howell O'Neill|first=Patrick|date=November 17, 2014|title=8chan is home to a hive of pedophiles|url=https://www.dailydot.com/layer8/8chan-pedophiles-child-porn-gamergate/|access-date=August 11, 2019|website=The Daily Dot|language=en|archive-date=May 26, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180526154936/https://www.dailydot.com/layer8/8chan-pedophiles-child-porn-gamergate/|url-status=live}} which the perpetrator of the shooting had allegedly used immediately prior to the attack to post a manifesto justifying his actions.{{Cite web|last=Robertson|first=Adi|date=August 6, 2019|title=Why banning hate sites is so hard|url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/8/6/20757267/8chan-offline-hate-sites-internet-problems-el-paso-texas-dayton-ohio-cloudflare|access-date=August 11, 2019|website=The Verge|archive-date=August 11, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190811134737/https://www.theverge.com/2019/8/6/20757267/8chan-offline-hate-sites-internet-problems-el-paso-texas-dayton-ohio-cloudflare|url-status=live}} The same day that 8chan was removed from Cloudflare, Epik began providing hosting services, and Monster released a statement explaining their decision. Later that day, Epik's primary hardware and connectivity provider Voxility banned Epik from renting their server space.{{cite web|last=Robertson|first=Adi|date=August 5, 2019|title=8chan goes dark after hardware provider discontinues service|url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/8/5/20754943/8chan-epik-offline-voxility-service-cutoff-hate-speech-ban|access-date=August 11, 2019|website=The Verge|archive-date=August 8, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190808121939/https://www.theverge.com/2019/8/5/20754943/8chan-epik-offline-voxility-service-cutoff-hate-speech-ban|url-status=live}} Voxility's vice president of business development stated, "We have made the connection that at least two or three of the latest mass shootings in the U.S. were connected with [Epik and BitMitigate]. At some point, somebody needed to make the decision on where the limit is between what is illegal and what is freedom of speech and today it had to be us."{{Cite web|last=Bajak|first=Frank|date=August 5, 2019|title=Online providers knock 8chan offline after mass shooting|url=https://apnews.com/f82d6b27caf64167852ace2dad6c0c63|access-date=August 11, 2019|website=The Associated Press|archive-date=August 10, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190810165932/https://www.apnews.com/f82d6b27caf64167852ace2dad6c0c63|url-status=live}} The Voxility ban took 8chan offline, along with The Daily Stormer and other Epik customers. On August 6, Epik reversed course and announced that they would not provide hosting services to 8chan; on August 7, Ars Technica noted that Epik had only ceased hosting their content and was still providing 8chan with DNS services.{{Cite web|last=Macuk|first=Anthony|date=August 6, 2019|title=Epik reverses course, says BitMitigate will not support 8chan|url=https://www.columbian.com/news/2019/aug/06/epik-reverses-course-says-bitmitigate-will-not-support-8chan/|access-date=August 11, 2019|website=The Columbian|language=en-US|archive-date=January 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210112000304/https://www.columbian.com/news/2019/aug/06/epik-reverses-course-says-bitmitigate-will-not-support-8chan/|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|last=Salter|first=Jim|date=August 7, 2019|title=8chan resurfaces, along with The Daily Stormer and another Nazi site|url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2019/08/8chan-resurfaces-along-with-the-daily-stormer-and-a-nazi-site/|access-date=August 11, 2019|website=Ars Technica|language=en-us|archive-date=August 19, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190819035954/https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2019/08/8chan-resurfaces-along-with-the-daily-stormer-and-a-nazi-site/|url-status=live}}

{{See also|Gab (social network)}}

Epik received media attention in early November 2018 for registering Gab, an American alt-tech social networking service known for its far-right userbase, after it was ousted by GoDaddy for allowing "content on the site that both promotes and encourages violence against people". This came shortly after it was revealed that the perpetrator of the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting had used the service to post "hateful content".{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/30/arts/the-far-right-has-a-new-digital-safe-space.html|title=The Far Right Has a New Digital Safe Space|last=Hess|first=Amanda|date=November 30, 2016|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=December 3, 2016|archive-date=December 3, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161203105501/http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/30/arts/the-far-right-has-a-new-digital-safe-space.html|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2017/9/6/16259150/gab-ai-registrar-andrew-anglin-daily-stormer-crackdown|title=Far-right friendly social network Gab is facing censorship controversy|last=Robertson|first=Adi|date=September 6, 2017|website=The Verge|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180404073239/https://www.theverge.com/2017/9/6/16259150/gab-ai-registrar-andrew-anglin-daily-stormer-crackdown|archive-date=April 4, 2018|url-status=live|access-date=April 3, 2018|df=mdy-all}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2017/05/21/529005840/feeling-sidelined-by-mainstream-social-media-far-right-users-jump-to-gab|title=Feeling Sidelined By Mainstream Social Media, Far-Right Users Jump To Gab|last=Selyukh|first=Alina|date=May 21, 2017|work=National Public Radio|access-date=November 21, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181121120145/https://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2017/05/21/529005840/feeling-sidelined-by-mainstream-social-media-far-right-users-jump-to-gab|archive-date=November 21, 2018|url-status=live|language=en|df=mdy-all}} Tal Moore, a member of Epik's board, resigned in December 2018 over the company's involvement with Gab. On November 7, 2018, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro sent a subpoena to Epik requesting "any and all documents which are related in any way to Gab" after Gab registered its domains onto Epik.{{Cite web|url=https://apnews.com/c530823acb6ff36a13144a870e0b4a1d|title=Epik, Gab's newest domain provider, subpoenaed in wake of Pittsburgh synagogue shooting|last=Blake|first=Andrew|date=November 9, 2018|website=The Associated Press|access-date=May 5, 2019|archive-date=May 5, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190505203814/https://apnews.com/c530823acb6ff36a13144a870e0b4a1d|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/11/gab-cries-foul-as-pennsylvania-attorney-general-subpoenas-dns-provider/|title=Gab cries foul as Pennsylvania attorney general subpoenas DNS provider|last=Lee|first=Timothy B.|date=November 8, 2019|website=Ars Technica|language=en-us|access-date=May 5, 2019|archive-date=May 5, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190505203813/https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/11/gab-cries-foul-as-pennsylvania-attorney-general-subpoenas-dns-provider/|url-status=live}} Gab posted screenshots of the subpoena letter in a tweet on the day the subpoena was sent, despite being asked to keep the letter confidential. The tweet was deleted hours later. In an email statement to Ars Technica, Monster stated that "the news of the subpoena was not intended for public consumption" and that "we are cooperating with their inquiry".

{{main article|r/The_Donald#Patriots.win}}

Epik provides hosting to Patriots.win, previously known as TheDonald.win, the independent far-right web forum that was created as a successor to the r/The_Donald subreddit banned by Reddit in June 2020.{{cite web|title=Trump Supporters Create Social Media Platform Tailored For Them|date=26 November 2019|url=https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/trump-supporters-create-social-media-platform-tailored-for-them|access-date=July 30, 2020|publisher=The Washington Examiner|archive-date=9 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309063438/https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/trump-supporters-create-social-media-platform-tailored-for-them|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|last=Lima|first=Cristiano|date=June 29, 2020|title=Reddit bans pro-Trump forum in crackdown on hate speech|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/06/29/reddit-bans-pro-trump-forum-in-crackdown-on-hate-speech-344698|access-date=June 29, 2020|website=Politico|language=en|archive-date=June 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200629173811/https://www.politico.com/news/2020/06/29/reddit-bans-pro-trump-forum-in-crackdown-on-hate-speech-344698|url-status=live}} The website has been labeled "a magnet for extreme discourse" by the Financial Times.{{cite web|last=Fischer|first=Sare|date=November 26, 2019|title=The next pro-Trump social media network|url=https://www.axios.com/donald-trump-social-network-reddit-censorship-e0f38e5c-f911-4a24-9552-3afb0f56e4e4.html|access-date=August 12, 2020|website=Axios|archive-date=March 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210315222557/https://www.axios.com/donald-trump-social-network-reddit-censorship-e0f38e5c-f911-4a24-9552-3afb0f56e4e4.html|url-status=live}}

According to a January 16, 2021 report from the Wall Street Journal, Epik had threatened to take TheDonald.win offline over the forum failing to remove white supremacist, racist, and violent content. The Journal also reported that Jody Williams, TheDonald.win's owner, had received multiple requests from the FBI for user information due to threatening posts. Williams had struggled to moderate the forum's racist, antisemitic, and violent posts over the prior months, and some of TheDonald.win's volunteer moderators had responded by thwarting Williams's efforts to take down the violent and objectionable content on the forum. Williams and his family had also received daily death threats from the users he banned from the forum.{{Cite news|last=Talley|first=Ian|date=January 16, 2021|title=Pro-Trump Discussion Board Faces Possible Shutdown Over Violent, Racist Posts|language=en-US|work=Wall Street Journal|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/pro-trump-discussion-board-faces-possible-shutdown-over-violent-racist-posts-11610819176|access-date=January 18, 2021|issn=0099-9660|archive-date=March 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210315095911/https://www.wsj.com/articles/pro-trump-discussion-board-faces-possible-shutdown-over-violent-racist-posts-11610819176|url-status=live}} On January 20, 2021, due to an internal power struggle over the TheDonald.win domain between the moderators and Williams, a new forum called Patriots.win was created and TheDonald.win was shut down by Williams on January 21.{{Cite news|last1=Timberg|first1=Craig|last2=Harwell|first2=Drew|date=2021-02-05|title=TheDonald's owner speaks out on why he finally pulled plug on hate-filled site|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/02/05/why-thedonald-moderator-left/|access-date=2021-02-16|archive-date=2023-03-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230331233303/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/02/05/why-thedonald-moderator-left/|url-status=live}} {{As of|2021|1|21|df=US}}, Epik was providing services to Patriots.win.{{Cite web|last=Goforth|first=Claire|date=January 21, 2021|title=Notorious pro-Trump forum rebrands as 'Patriots' after post-Capitol riot infighting|url=https://www.dailydot.com/debug/pro-trump-site-renamed-internal-conflict/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210222041432/https://www.dailydot.com/debug/pro-trump-site-renamed-internal-conflict/|archive-date=February 22, 2021|access-date=January 22, 2021|website=The Daily Dot|language=en-US|url-status=live}}

{{main article|The Daily Stormer}}

In August 2019, when Epik discovered newly acquired cybersecurity company BitMitigate was hosting an American neo-Nazi, white supremacist, and Holocaust denial commentary and message board website, The Daily Stormer, Epik stopped providing services.{{Cite web |last=Brodkin |first=Jon |date=2019-08-05 |title=Dumped by Cloudflare, 8chan gets back online—then gets kicked off again |url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2019/08/8chan-briefly-got-back-online-with-same-cdn-used-by-neo-nazi-daily-stormer/ |access-date=2024-12-20 |website=Ars Technica |language=en-US}}{{Cite news|last1=Conger|first1=Kate|last2=Popper|first2=Nathaniel|date=August 5, 2019|title=Behind the Scenes, 8chan Scrambles to Get Back Online|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/05/technology/8chan-website-online.html|access-date=August 11, 2019|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=August 10, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190810201820/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/05/technology/8chan-website-online.html|url-status=live}}{{Cite web |title=Daily Stormer Website Goes Dark Amid Chaos |url=https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2019/09/18/daily-stormer-website-goes-dark-amid-chaos |access-date=2024-12-20 |website=Southern Poverty Law Center |date=18 September 2019 |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2019-08-06 |title=Seattle-area internet firm decides not to host extremist 8chan website linked to El Paso shootings |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/business/technology/seattle-area-internet-firm-decides-not-to-host-extremist-8chan-website-linked-to-el-paso-shootings/ |access-date=2024-12-20 |website=The Seattle Times |language=en-US}} BitMitigate had been hosting the site since GoDaddy and Cloudflare terminated services after mocking the death of Heather Heyer at the 2017 Charlottesville car attack.

In a 2021 interview with NPR, Monster said that Epik's connection to The Daily Stormer was "regrettable", and that "The greatest cost of acquiring BitMitigate was not the amount of cash that we paid to buy the technology, but the entanglement."

After Cloudflare deplatformed the harassment forum Kiwi Farms in November 2022, Epik began providing the website with domain registration services. In January 2024, the new Epik LLC discontinued its registration agreement with Kiwi Farms, citing complaints about child sexual abuse material, doxing, and other terms of service violations.{{Cite web |last=Allemann |first=Andrew |date=January 24, 2024 |title=Epik boots Kiwi Farms, vows to boot "absolutist free speech websites" |url=https://domainnamewire.com/2024/01/24/epik-boots-kiwi-farms-vows-to-boot-absolutist-free-speech-websites/ |access-date=August 15, 2024 |website=Domain Name Wire}} Epik claimed on Twitter that it had suspended services to the website after receiving a United States court order, and alleged that the website had been hosting child sexual abuse material. Kiwi Farms responded by threatening Epik with a defamation lawsuit.

Wired wrote in 2018 that Epik had a history of not responding to reports of illegal activity on the websites they registered, which the magazine noted as unusual for domain registrars based in the United States. Pharmaceutical watchdog website LegitScript had reported in 2018 that they alerted Epik to the sale of illegal drugs and counterfeit medications on websites registered by Epik, and that Epik had declined to act upon the information without a court order.{{Cite report|url=https://safemedsonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Opioid-Sales-on-the-Dark-Web-LegitScript-June-2018-Report.pdf|title=The State of Opioid Sales on the Dark Web|last=LegitScript|date=June 2018|publisher=Center for Safe Internet Pharmacies|page=40|access-date=2021-07-26|archive-date=2021-07-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210726210218/https://safemedsonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Opioid-Sales-on-the-Dark-Web-LegitScript-June-2018-Report.pdf|url-status=live}} Epik's CEO at the time, Rob Monster, responded to LegitScript by pointing out that they do take action on domains when court orders are presented, that they could not reasonably assess all claims of illegality themselves, and that they could not merely take LegitScript's claim that something was illegal as the organization represents corporate pharmacy interests.{{cite web |last=Monster |first=Rob |date=April 24, 2017 |title=Why I stood up to Legitscript |url=https://www.epik.com/blog/why-i-stood-up-to-legitscript.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170710232601/https://www.epik.com/blog/why-i-stood-up-to-legitscript.html |archive-date=July 10, 2017 |access-date=August 14, 2024 |website=Epik}}{{Primary source inline|date=August 2024}}

File:Epik vector logo.svg|2009–2023

File:Epik logo (2023).svg|2023–2024

File:Epik logo (2024–).svg|2024–present

{{Portal|Companies}}

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Category:Alt-tech

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Category:Domain name registrars

Category:Internet technology companies of the United States

Category:Neo-Nazism in the United States

Category:Web hosting

Category:Sammamish, Washington

Category:Technology companies established in 2009