Gettr is the latest ‘Facebook Killer’ to hit the Social Media market.
This is usually before the new spunky upstart company realizes all the vile internet things that are going to hit them right in the posts of their new ‘Free Speech’ platform. When you let people post anything, they will. They will with a vengeance. The dark side of social media is that it does enable some truly awful things to have avenues of communication. Trafficking in persons, children especially, is one of the most horrific. Both digital content and actual persons are a constant menace that Facebook and other Social Media platforms combat every minute of every day.
Gettr is going to experience all those struggles, and more as they’re the new small startup, and will need to navigate them successfully while also breaking out of the niche of ‘just’ free speech. Why isn’t free speech enough? Well, because on an app and the like we actually tend to value function over freedoms. We do, it’s a fact. Facebook spends a TON of money (several in fact) making certain their interface functions and does not overly annoy their user base, freedom of expression comes second (or lower).
From Newsweek:
New pro-Donald Trump social media website Gettr has registered more than 1 million users in the first three days since it went live, according to its CEO.
Gettr positions itself as being a platform to “express yourself freely” and claims it will not stifle free speech, an accusation it has hurled at other social media giants such as Facebook and Twitter.
CEO Jason Miller, previously a senior adviser to Trump, made the claim that more than a million users have already signed up in a statement in which he also defended Trump’s big tech lawsuit. The legal action focuses on allegations that Facebook, Twitter and YouTube have censored the former president and other conservatives.
His statement read: “President Trump has struck a blow for the freedom of expression ingrained in our Constitution and against the unrestrained power of the Silicon Valley social media oligarchs who regularly suppress 1st Amendment-protected speech.
“Trump correctly likened the theft of freedom of speech to ‘leading lambs to their slaughter’; and is taking on the powerful, leftist Big Tech moguls.”
Miller added: “Censorship, blacklisting and outright cancellation are commonplace on giant social media platforms and often are aimed at everyday citizens doing nothing more than exercising their God-given right to express themselves.
“This is exactly why we founded Gettr, and exactly why we have seen astounding growth – over one million registered users – just three days after our official launch. There is a hunger for a ‘cancel free’ social media platform, not just in the United States, but in nations across the globe.”
A force to Be Reckoned With
“Gettr is stepping into that role and is already a force to be reckoned with.”
Despite the fanfare over Gettr’s launch in conservative circles, the platform faced several issues shortly after it went live.
The platform was marred by users uploading pornographic images and GIFs after Gettr uploaded its first welcome message. Many users spammed the post with graphic hentai (Japanese porn cartoons) and images of Hillary Clinton‘s face photoshopped onto a naked woman’s body, according to Mother Jones.
Gettr also became the target of hackers, who reportedly obtained the email addresses and information of at least 90,000 users, while fake accounts have also become an issue. One that impersonated Donald Trump gained 23,400 followers.
The phrase, “This is why we can’t have nice things.” comes to mind. A platform can span the difference between crushing free speech slowly (as Facebook tries ever more often to make everyone place nice) and policing for downright vile content that does not have a place. It is a challenging job, which is why we see new ‘Free Speech’ social media startups die after brief fanfares. These aren’t just ‘leftist’ trolls either. These are the contrarians of the internet who love to weaponize anonymity regardless. But such is life, not always pretty.
Gettr is going to face all the challenges that Facebook has, and if they put together an experienced Social Media team they can navigate them. But allowing free speech and freedom of advertising is going to be a monumental task, one Facebook didn’t choose to take on despite many advocating it would have been the easier path. Being a ‘Free Speech’ social media platform is just as much work on the moderators part, perhaps more, than having a stringent rulebook.
With the financial backing and cult of personality that Trump’s name brings, this one may last long enough to find its feet. But we aren’t in the glory days of emerging Social Media. Facebook is the king, and heavy is the head that wears the crown.
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