Trump is launching his own platform. Of course he is.
So it was only a matter of time before Trump popped up on our news feeds again right?
Even though he’s been completely de-platformed – banned from every social channel that matters.
But he’s just too interesting to ignore, and the main stream media was never going to leave him alone for long.
Anyway, the latest “news” is that Trump is launching his own Facebook. It’s a new social media platform called “TRUTH SOCIAL”.
The app will begin its beta launch for invited guests in November 2021, with a national rollout in the first quarter of 2022.
According to Trump:
“I created TRUTH Social… to stand up to the tyranny of Big Tech.
“We live in a world where the Taliban has a huge presence on Twitter, yet your favorite American president has been silenced. This is unacceptable.”
Go on. Admit it. You miss him.
Who else would say something like that? (Which, by the way, for his base, is pitch-perfect persuasion.)
(He’s also launching his own video-streaming service specialising in “non-woke programming.” Lol.)
Trump’s been banned from Twitter since January 8, when his followers stormed the Capitol.
Whoopsie.
And it was true that he got de-platformed by Big Tech. Big Tech in turn were being pressured by many segments of society to crack down on mis-information, and censor his calls for an insurrection.
Big Tech obliged.
And maybe you think that’s a good thing. And maybe in this particular instance it was.
But we now have the situation where a small handful of corporations with no democratic accountability to the people have a huge amount of control over what voices get heard and which ones don’t.
That’s not ideal. It works in your favour, until it doesn’t. And even for someone like me, who thinks Trump’s willingness to mispresent the truth in a dangerous way means that he’s unfit for office, it’s a situation I’m pretty uncomfortable with.
For the moment, my views and Google’s seem to align.
But one day, maybe they don’t?
And what views am I just not hearing?
Is Google censoring calls to break up the monopoly power of Big Tech? If they feel they’ve got a social license to be censor-in-chief, why wouldn’t they?
In a way I think this is what happens when you put business and corporations at the centre of public life.
It’s like the cafes and business that are now being asked to enforce whether people have been vaccinated or not?
How is that businesses job?
And how is censoring Google and Facebook’s job?
It shouldn’t be.
I think there is an argument for deliberate programs that counter mis-information.
But those programs need democratic accountability, otherwise we’re playing with fire.
Maybe some things we have to learn the hard way.
JG.
Simon says
If only it wasn’t Trump,. as I’m sure he’ll have no qualms censoring opposing opinions.
Cora Clampitt says
Even though he’s made some mistakes, I support Trump and believe he’s fit for office.