The notion that Donald Trump would set up his own social media platform is not new. We’ve talked about it alongside what could be millions of others. Faced with serial censorship and an accelerated war on Free Speech, it makes sense. The market potential is Yuge.
Related: If You Value Free Speech Stop Allowing Serial Liars to Police the Truth
Yes, there is competition aplenty. Gab and MeWe have been absorbing Facebook Refugees. Parler is slated to return this week, possibly today. But they are not the same interface experience as Facebook or Twitter, and as much as folks dislike their privacy abuses and partisan policing, they are hooked on that experience. This is slowing migration.
Donald Trump has an opportunity to fix whatever it is about those platforms people don’t like if he creates his own, and that is on the table.
“I would expect that we will see the president reemerge on social media,” Miller said when asked what Trump plans to do next. “Whether that’s joining an existing platform or creating his new platform, there are a number of different options and a number of different meetings that they’ve been having on that front. Nothing is imminent on that.” …
“All options are on the table,” Miller said. “A number of things are being discussed. Stay tuned there because you know he’s going to be back on social media. We’re just kind of figuring out which avenue makes the most sense.”
There is a niche to be filled. If Trump decides to fill the void, either by crafting a new experience or emboldening an existing one, some percentage of those 74 million Trump voters in the US may want to be a part of that.
But will it address free speech concerns?
Gab gets a bad rap for the presence of unsavory people. Actual racists and antisemites. In other words, it’s a lot like the real world. No filters, except that Gab addresses actual threats and malice, which are not permitted. They rely on the community to flag what is truly offensive and then investigate it.
There’s no ideological, political, or ism-based assessment. As far as I can tell, if it falls outside what the Supreme Court traditionally acknowledges as free speech, it gets deleted. Otherwise, it’s play ball.
To date, the Court has consistently done a good job of protecting First Amendment speech rights, even from the liberal justices. That means most speech is protected.
Yes, Gab’s user’s traffic in ideas you may find offensive, but I find this less offensive than politically powerful people deciding what you meant and then punishing you for that. I can ingore anyone on Gab by simply not following them. I can;t escape the Liberal TechSensors.
And maybe none of us can. Not really. Not until we secure networks and platforms they cannot influence and then support them with our presence and where necessary our support.
No decision has been made. The statement or rumor could just be something to set the lefty social-media heads spinning. But whatever The Donald decides to do, it has the potential to change the landscape for the better.
