Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Orlando, Florida, U.S., on Sunday, Feb. 28, 2021. (Photographer: Elijah Nouvelage/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Unraveling viral disinformation and explaining where it came from, the harm it's causing, and what we should do about it.
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Trump has been silent on social media since Twitter and Facebook kicked him out for the part he played in inciting the Capitol riots. Twitter has banned him permanently, while Facebook has asked its independent oversight board to make a decision about whether to allow Trump back on the platform. Their verdict is expected next month.Since then, Trump has rebuffed repeated efforts by right-wing fringe platforms like Gab and Parler to get him to join. It seems he has set his sights on his own platform, with numerous companies reportedly seeking to build it for him. “This new platform is going to be big,” Miller said. “Everyone wants him and he's going to bring millions and millions— tens of millions— to this platform.”
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Running a social network is not only difficult, but also expensive, and most rely almost entirely on advertising to make money. Many pointed out that it may be difficult to get enough advertisers to spend money on a site filled with militant Trump supporters, especially when so many are pulling their advertising money from pro-Trump shows like Tucker Carlson on Fox News.But some pointed out that rather than trying to challenge Twitter or Facebook, Trump’s social network may simply be a new play to squeeze money — and data — from Trump’s core groups of supporters.
“There are models out there. Think Twitch, Patreon, OnlyFans. A Trump social media network will surely be designed to get cash out of its users' pockets, not advertisers,” Arieh Kovler, a political consultant, tweeted.