Trump supporters find solace in alternate apps after Twitter and Facebook ban
Story highlights
Facebook shut down nearly 900 accounts and Twitter blocked 70,000 accounts related t conspiraycy group QAnon and such
Popular social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter recently disabled and banned several accounts of Donald Trump supporters as they were accused of inciting violence and spreading misinformation.
However, while Trump decided to knock the doors of the friendly and local news channels to broadcast his thoughts, his supporters have also found slternate social media platforms to yell out their thoughts to the world.
Platforms such as Gab, MeWe, Telegram, Discord and a few more have now replaced popular social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Messenger and such.
"The most extreme Trump supporters were already on alternative platforms," Nick Backovic, a researcher at Logically.AI, a company specialising in digital disinformation. "The fact that Facebook and Twitter took so long to (ban them) allowed influencers to rebuild conversation and groups almost seamlessly."
After the US Capitol riots, carried out by Trump's supporters on January 06, platforms such as Facebook and Twitter took down pages and accounts of several armed groups an movements such as Oath Keepers.
Facebook shut down nearly 900 accounts and Twitter blocked 70,000 accounts related t conspiraycy group QAnon and such.
"Deplatforming works," said Jim Steyer, president of the organization Common Sense Media. "Now that you look at Trump not being on Twitter, he lost his big speaker, his amplification microphone to the world."