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Gettr
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Gettr (stylized GETTR) is an alt-tech social media platform and microblogging site targeting American conservatives.[7][8] It was founded by Jason Miller, a former Donald Trump aide, and was officially launched on July 4, 2021.[9][10][11][12] Its user interface and feature set have been described as very similar to those of Twitter.[13][14]
Key Information
The platform experienced issues shortly after launch, including internet trolls posting content that violated the terms of service, users flooding it with pornography,[15] and the brief hacking of some high-profile accounts.[16][17][18] Journalists have observed the prevalence of extreme content on the platform, including racism, antisemitism, and terrorist propaganda.[19][20][21]
By November 2021, Gettr said it had almost 3 million total users and almost 400,000 daily average users.[22] As of February 2022, the company said that its number of users had increased to 4.5 million.[23] According to market intelligence company Sensor Tower, as of February 2022 there have been 6.5 million global downloads of the Gettr app from the App Store and Google Play.[23]
Background
[edit]After the United States Capitol attack of January 6, 2021, several social media sites banned Donald Trump from their platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.[13] Platforms also suspended some Trump supporters and others who were sharing conspiracy theories and extremist content. These actions led to an outcry from some American conservatives that social media sites and Big Tech were deplatforming or shadow banning them.[24]
After the bans, Trump began to look for alternative outlets,[14][7] eventually creating his own blog to share similar content to what he had previously posted on Twitter. After poor reception, he closed the blog shortly after its launch.[13][25] Jason Miller, then Trump's senior advisor and spokesman since 2016, for several months teased plans by the Trump team to create a social network of their own.[26]
History
[edit]In June 2021, it was reported that Miller had left Trump's team to become CEO of a tech startup.[13][27] A beta version of Gettr launched on July 1, 2021, after being added to the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store in mid-June.[14] The platform can also be accessed via the web.[28] Gettr officially launched on July 4, 2021.[9][29] Miller is CEO,[9] and former Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh is a media affairs consultant for the company.[30] Miller said of his motivations for creating the site, "People were being de-platformed and realizing that the tech giants, so to speak, had [decided] to ally themselves with the more left-of-centre folks, who want to silence people all over".[31] The term "Gettr" is believed by some critics to be code for "get her".[32]
Gettr is a privately held company.[33] Miller has said the company was financed by a "consortium of international investors" including a foundation tied to Guo Wengui, a Chinese businessman and dissident[34] with connections to former Trump strategist Steve Bannon and Mar-a-Lago.[30][2] Guo has said he is an adviser to the platform.[2] Media sites tied to Guo have suggested that the platform and its logo were his ideas, though Miller has downplayed the connections.[35] The Daily Beast reported that Gettr was a retooled version of Guo's Chinese internet app, Getome, created by Guo's Chainnov, which Miller confirmed.[30] Getome accounts were wiped before relaunching as Gettr.[36] Miller has said that Guo did not invest money directly and has no official authority within Gettr,[33] but his connection and influence were exposed in March 2023.[37]
On the day of its beta launch, Gettr had several thousand users.[38] There was some initial confusion as to whether the platform was funded by former President Donald Trump.[14] Bloomberg reported that Trump would not be joining the platform, nor would he have any financial stake in it, and that he was still planning to create a platform of his own.[39] On July 4, 2021, the day of the platform's official launch, Miller stated that it had "more than half a million users".[17] According to estimates from Sensor Tower, Gettr received 1.3 million downloads globally between June and July 2021, with the United States and Brazil having the most downloads.[40] In August 2021, it was reported that Trump was considering purchasing equity in the platform,[41] and as of mid-August 2021, Miller said he still aimed to draw Trump to the platform.[42]
The platform was briefly hacked on its launch day. Some high-profile Gettr accounts, including those of Miller, U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, former secretary of state Mike Pompeo, and Bannon were compromised and had their account names changed to show the name of the alleged attacker and a message supporting Palestine.[43][18][44][40] A few days later, a hacker was able to scrape almost 90,000 email addresses through their application programming interface (API).[43]
As of November 2021, Gettr had almost 3 million total users and almost 400,000 daily average users.[45]
On December 28, 2021, Gettr laid off its entire security and information technology teams, which included 13 staff members, Gettr's chief information officer (CIO), and Gettr's chief information security officer (CISO). None of these employees were replaced. Three former Gettr employees blamed Guo Wengui for the layoffs.[46]
In January 2022, Gettr gained half a million new users[47] with the joining of Joe Rogan, physician and immunologist Robert Malone, and the Twitter suspension of Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene.[45][47] On January 3, 2022, Gettr gained 341,000 new users.[48] Rogan announced his Gettr registration on Twitter,[49] and told his 7.8 million followers to join him on the new platform. By January 4, Gettr had more than 540,000 new users since Rogan's registration.[47] Politico reported in July 2021 that Gettr users can import their list of followers from their Twitter account to be displayed as their Gettr followers, which also creates Gettr accounts for those followers.[50]
Content
[edit]| Part of a series on |
| Conservatism in the United States |
|---|
Content on Gettr is mostly right-wing.[21] Journalists reported extreme content on the platform was prevalent, including racism, antisemitism, and terrorist propaganda.[19][51][20][21] Politico observed the white supremacist Proud Boys organization was being promoted on the platform.[21] Conservative users who have used Gettr include Sean Hannity, Kevin McCarthy, Mike Pompeo, Ben Carson, and Elise Stefanik.[21][52] The Germany-based far-right disinformation outlet Disclose.tv maintains an account on Gettr.[53][54]
Trending topics on the platform on the day of Gettr's beta launch included pro-Trump slogans, as well as hashtags including racist and antisemitic slurs and those referring to unevidenced theories about the origins of COVID-19.[14][19] Shortly after Gettr launched, the platform was inundated with pornography, including hentai.[55][16][15] According to the Institute for Strategic Dialogue and Politico in August 2021, propaganda from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) had begun to "inundate" the platform, including memes encouraging violence against the Western world, beheading videos, and a meme showing Trump being executed in an orange jumpsuit. The content was similar to what has appeared on mainstream platforms like Facebook and Twitter, according to a director of Tech Against Terrorism, but unlike Gettr the other sites have automatic filtering and removal systems in place, and partner through the nonprofit Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism to remove extremist material. In response to questions about the content, Miller said that ISIL was trying to attack Trump supporters because Trump had "wiped [ISIL] off the face of the earth", and that "the only [ISIL] members still alive are keyboard warriors hiding in caves and eating dirt cookies".[21] Also in August, a study published by the Stanford Internet Observatory found that Gettr has "very few—if any—mechanisms for detecting spam, violent content, pornography, and child exploitation imagery" and that "Gettr appears to rely entirely on community reporting mechanisms to find sensitive content and illegal child-related imagery".[56] The study found sixteen examples of images on Gettr that were flagged by PhotoDNA, an image-identification technology used for detecting illegal content, as "child exploitation imagery".[56] Responding to Vice News, Miller labeled the Stanford report "completely wrong", and claimed that Gettr had "a robust and proactive, dual-layered moderation policy using both artificial intelligence and human review, ensuring that our platform remains safe for all users".[57] In an interview with The New York Times at this time, technology columnist Kara Swisher, Miller said that Gettr had applied to work with PhotoDNA. He argued that Gettr uses "pretty tight filters when it comes to images" and that "any image that gets posted and has a child gets reviewed by a human."[58] According to the Associated Press, Gettr "bans racial and religious epithets and violent threats." However, "a quick search turns up a user whose name includes the N-word as well as pro-Nazi content."[23]
Gettr's terms of service say that the platform may remove content that is "offensive, obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy, pornographic, violent, harassing, threatening, abusive, illegal, or otherwise objectionable or inappropriate".[19] In an appearance on Newsmax, Miller touted the app as a "place people won't be canceled". He described the site's moderation system, which he said had already identified "left-of-center people" and "[caught] them and delete[d] some of that content".[35]
According to Miller in September 2021, Brazil was Gettr's second-largest market after the United States, and said Gettr was being used appreciatively by supporters of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro,[59] who himself created an account.[23] In November 2021, Gettr gained nearly 500,000 users in Brazil, or 15 percent of its user base, its second-largest market after the United States.[60] Also according to Miller, Gettr had over 100 moderators as of November 2021, and used artificial intelligence to monitor some content on the platform.[22]
The platform has seen growth in European countries like France, where "political figures, such as Éric Zemmour and Marine Le Pen, have also created their accounts there."[61][62]
In December 2021, Gettr permanently suspended a 23-year-old far-right commentator, white nationalist and former YouTube personality,[63] Nick Fuentes. The site received backlash from Fuentes' fanbase, known as Groypers, as well as Arizona State Senator Wendy Rogers, who wrote, "What is the point of a free-speech alternative to Twitter ... that doesn't even honor free speech?"[64] Gettr subsequently banned all use of the word "groyper" on the platform.[65] A Gettr spokesperson said "The user in question violated Gettr's clearly defined terms of use and has been suspended from the platform."[66] Fuentes has also lost access from almost every major platform including Facebook, Instagram, Apple's podcast app, TikTok, Discord, Clubhouse, Spotify, and DLive, along with business and consumer services like PayPal, Venmo, Patreon, Airbnb, Shopify, Amazon Web Services, Stripe, Streamlabs and Coinbase.[67]
Shortly after joining Gettr, Joe Rogan expressed confusion on The Tim Dillon Show regarding his supposed 9 million follower tally. Miller claimed the figure, exceeding the total number of Gettr users, was meant to show Rogan's "true reach" via a combined Twitter-Gettr follower tally. Prior to this, both Rogan and Dillon dismissed Rogan's follower total as "fugazi" and "fuckery".[68] Miller provided a statement to Gizmodo and The Daily Beast, stating "[w]e've been in contact with Joe Rogan's team and hope that we have addressed any concerns he may have". Gizmodo noted that since Rogan's comments, Gettr appears to have changed "the way these follower counts are displayed" to provide clearer separation.[69][70]
Chinese government influence operations
[edit]In September 2023, The Wall Street Journal reported that Gettr was targeted by a Chinese government influence operation called Spamouflage, which aimed to spread disinformation and state propaganda.[71]
Use of platform to threaten U.S. officials
[edit]On July 29, 2024, in response to a subpoena, Gettr provided "approximately 4,359 posts/replies" from a Virginia man targeting public officials including President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and FBI Director Christopher Wray. The man was charged with making death threats.[72][73]
Platform
[edit]Gettr has been described as a conservative social media platform.[7] Gettr described itself at launch as a "non-bias social network", and bills itself as an alternative to mainstream social networks, writing in a mission statement that its aims include "fighting cancel culture, promoting common sense, defending free speech, challenging social media monopolies, and creating a true marketplace of ideas".[13][14] The name is a portmanteau of "getting together",[2][9] or "get together".[74]
Gettr's user interface and feature set have been described as very similar to those of Twitter,[13][14] with some journalists describing it as a "clone".[19][75] Users can write posts on the platform of up to 777 characters in length, upload images, and upload and edit videos that are up to three minutes long.[9] Users can repost other users' posts, as well as explore a feed of trending topics.[13] Some users can import their content from Twitter and mirror their Twitter feeds on Gettr.[76] The platform also includes the ability for users to be verified.[7] The app is rated "M" for "mature" in app stores, meaning it is recommended for those 17 years of age and older.[13] Miller said that the platform plans to add monetization via a "tipping" feature, livestreaming, and a platform to facilitate political donations.[9] Technology journalist Kara Swisher described Gettr in an episode of the podcast Pivot as easy to use and as "a cleaner Twitter", but said "it suffers from a lot of misinformation".[77]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ @GETTRofficial (September 18, 2021). "PRESS RELEASE: #GETTR launches translation feature offering 69 languages" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ a b c d Hagey, Keach; Spegele, Brian (July 2, 2021). "Ex-Trump Adviser Jason Miller Says New Social App Gettr Is Backed by Foundation Tied to Guo Wengui". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Archived from the original on July 2, 2021. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
- ^ "GETTR - A Marketplace of Ideas". July 13, 2023.
- ^ Gómez, Fin (February 9, 2023). "Jason Miller returns as adviser for Trump's 2024 presidential campaign". CBS News. Retrieved February 11, 2023.
- ^ Lima, Cristiano (November 9, 2021). "Gettr, Parler, Gab find a fanbase with Brazil's far-right". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
- ^ "GETTR - Apps on Google Play".
- ^ a b c d Panetta, Grace (July 1, 2021). "Trump's former top aide launches GETTR, a new conservative social media platform". Business Insider. Archived from the original on July 1, 2021. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
- ^ Anglesey, Anders (July 8, 2021). "Gettr, team Trump's social media platform, claims 1M users joined in first 3 days". Newsweek. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f Singman, Brooke (July 1, 2021). "Trump adviser Jason Miller to launch GETTR, a 'cancel-free' social media platform". Fox News. Archived from the original on July 1, 2021. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
- ^ "Former Trump spokesman launches new social media platform GETTR". News Nation USA. July 4, 2021. Archived from the original on October 21, 2021. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
- ^ Spangler, Todd (July 1, 2021). "Gettr, Social Network Launched by Trump's Ex-Spokesman, Immediately Attracts Trump Imposters". Variety. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
- ^ Spangler, Todd (July 1, 2021). "Gettr, Social Network Launched by Trump's Ex-Spokesman, Immediately Attracts Trump Imposters". Variety. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Klar, Rebecca (July 1, 2021). "Trump allies launch new social media platform: reports". The Hill. Archived from the original on July 1, 2021. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g McGraw, Meredith; Nguyen, Tina; Lima, Cristiano (July 1, 2021). "Team Trump quietly launches new social media platform". Politico. Archived from the original on July 1, 2021. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
- ^ a b McKay, Tom (July 2, 2021). "New Social Media Site From Team Trump Upsets Qanon Faithful With Hentai and Men In Diapers". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on July 4, 2021. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
- ^ a b Zitser, Joshua (July 3, 2021). "Trump allies' new anti-censorship app for conservatives has already been overrun with porn, reports say". Business Insider. Archived from the original on July 3, 2021. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
- ^ a b Lyons, Kim (July 4, 2021). "Former Trump advisor's Gettr platform appeared to be briefly hacked Sunday". The Verge. Archived from the original on July 5, 2021. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
- ^ a b Shalal, Andrea (July 4, 2021). "Pro-Trump social media app hacked on launch day as half million sign up". Reuters. Archived from the original on July 5, 2021. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e Ghaffary, Shirin (July 1, 2021). "Trump is nowhere to be found on the Twitter clone his former spokesperson launched". Vox. Archived from the original on July 2, 2021. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
- ^ a b Franceschi-Bicchierai, Lorenzo (July 1, 2021). "GETTR Is the Trump Team's Buggy, Leaky Twitter Clone". Vice. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f Scott, Mark; Nguyen, Tina (August 2, 2021). "Jihadists flood pro-Trump social network with propaganda". Politico. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
- ^ a b Lima, Cristiano (November 9, 2021). "Gettr, Parler, Gab find a fanbase with Brazil's far-right". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
- ^ a b c d DAVID KLEPPER; BARBARA ORTUTAY (February 5, 2022). "A year after Trump purge, 'alt-tech' platform offers far-right refuge". The Associated Press. Associated Press. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
- ^ Guynn, Jessica (January 15, 2021). "'They want to take your speech away,' censorship cry unites Trump supporters and extremists after Capitol attack". USA Today. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
- ^ Bump, Philip (June 2, 2021). "Blogger calls it quits". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on July 2, 2021. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
- ^ Holland, Steve; Culliford, Elizabeth (July 1, 2021). "Former Trump aide Miller launches social media site GETTR". Reuters. Archived from the original on July 1, 2021. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
- ^ Breuninger, Kevin (June 11, 2021). "Trump spokesman Jason Miller leaving his role to join tech start-up". CNBC. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
- ^ Thalen, Mikael (July 1, 2021). "Former Trump aide launches 'GETTR,' the latest attempt at MAGA social media". The Daily Dot. Archived from the original on July 2, 2021. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
- ^ Spangler, Todd (July 1, 2021). "Gettr, Social Network Launched by Trump's Ex-Spokesman, Immediately Attracts Trump Imposters". Variety. Archived from the original on July 2, 2021. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
- ^ a b c Sommer, Will; Rawnsley, Adam; Suebsaeng, Asawin (July 1, 2021). "Trumpworld App Is Bankrolled by Fugitive Chinese Billionaire". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on July 1, 2021. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
- ^ Pavia, Jason (July 24, 2021). "The man plotting Donald Trump's return to social media". The Times of London. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
- ^ Reporter, Brendan Cole Senior News (July 2, 2021). "QAnon Supporters Think Trump Aide's GETTR App Is Code for Getting Hillary". Newsweek. Retrieved November 25, 2023.
- ^ a b "Can GETTR go the distance?". The Spectator World. November 18, 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
- ^ Wilkie, Dan Mangan, Kevin Breuninger, Christina (October 8, 2020). "GOP fundraiser Elliott Broidy charged in bid to lobby Trump administration to drop 1MDB case". CNBC. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b Baragona, Justin (July 2, 2021). "Jason Miller Sadly Begs Trump to Join 'GETTR': 'We'd Love to Have Him'". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on July 2, 2021. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
- ^ Josh Marshall (July 2, 2021). "New MAGA App Part of Bannon-China Comic Book Spy Drama". TPM. Archived from the original on July 4, 2021. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
But the gist seems to be that Guo recently told the app's users to download their account data because he was about to wipe the site clean and relaunch it as Jason Miller's GETTR.
- ^ Joseph Menn (March 26, 2023). "Indicted Chinese exile controls Gettr social media site, ex-employees say". Washington Post. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
- ^ Fischer, Sara (July 1, 2021). "Former Trump aide Jason Miller to launch new social app "Gettr"". Axios. Archived from the original on July 1, 2021. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
- ^ Niguette, Mark; Jacobs, Jennifer (July 1, 2021). "Former Trump Aide Starts Social-Media Platform Without Old Boss". Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on July 2, 2021. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
- ^ a b Hatmaker, Taylor (July 6, 2021). "Gettr, the latest pro-Trump social network, is already a mess". TechCrunch. Archived from the original on October 21, 2021. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
- ^ Fischer, Sara (August 31, 2021). "Trump wants equity in Jason Miller's social media app Gettr". Axios. Archived from the original on October 25, 2021. Retrieved October 27, 2021 – via Yahoo.
- ^ Sway (August 19, 2021). "Opinion | How Jason Miller Is Trying to Get Trump Back on the Internet". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
- ^ a b Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai (July 6, 2021). "Hackers Scrape 90,000 GETTR User Emails, Surprising No One". vice.com. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
- ^ Zitser, Joshua (July 4, 2021). "A string of top accounts on the new pro-Trump app GETTR were hacked and defaced on its July 4 launch day". Business Insider. Archived from the original on July 5, 2021. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
- ^ a b "Analysis | Gettr, Parler, Gab find a fanbase with Brazil's far-right". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
- ^ Loh, Matthew (February 4, 2022). "3 former Gettr employees say the social media platform laid off its entire security and IT teams, and one said it was run 'like a high school operation': report". Business Insider. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
- ^ a b c Reimann, Nicholas. "Gettr—Twitter-Like Right-Wing Platform—Claims User Surge After Plugs By Rogan, Marjorie Taylor Greene". Forbes. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
- ^ "Huge: Half million follow Joe Rogan to GETTR". Washington Examiner. January 4, 2022. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
- ^ Brown, Jon (January 2, 2022). "Joe Rogan leads move to GETTR after Twitter bans Dr. Robert Malone, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene". Fox Business. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
- ^ Meridith Mcgraw; Tina Nguyen; Cristiano Lima (July 1, 2021). "Team Trump quietly launches new social media platform". Politico.
- ^ Mak, Aaron (July 2, 2021). "What Happened When I Tried to Register as Donald Trump on the New MAGA Social Network". Slate. Retrieved September 8, 2021.
- ^ Singman, Brooke (July 13, 2021). "Former Trump adviser Jason Miller's GETTR social media platform reaches 1M users days after launch". Fox Business. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
- ^ Thomas, W. F. (January 12, 2022). "Disclose.tv: Conspiracy Forum Turned Disinformation Factory". Logically. Archived from the original on January 12, 2022. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
- ^ Schumacher, Elizabeth (February 8, 2022). "Disclose.TV: English disinformation made in Germany". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
Germany-based Disclose.TV has millions of followers – on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and far-right social media networks like Gettr and Gab.
- ^ Hall, Alexandra (July 4, 2021). "Sonic Smut Is Flooding Trump's New Social Network". Kotaku. Archived from the original on July 4, 2021. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
- ^ a b Gilbert, Ben (August 16, 2021). "A pro-Trump social media service built on 'freedom of speech' isn't moderating some child pornography". Business Insider. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
- ^ "Team Trump's 'Free Speech' Platform Has a Child Abuse Problem". Vice.com. August 16, 2021. Retrieved December 16, 2021.
- ^ Miller, Jason (August 19, 2021). "How Jason Miller Is Trying to Get Trump Back on the Internet". Sway (Podcast episode). Interviewed by Kara Swisher.
- ^ Sonmez, Felicia; McCoy, Terrence (September 7, 2021). "Former Trump adviser Jason Miller briefly detained in Brazil as political tumult grips country". Washington Post. Archived from the original on September 8, 2021. Retrieved September 8, 2021.
- ^ Nicas, Jack (November 11, 2021). "The Bolsonaro-Trump Connection Threatening Brazil's Elections". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
- ^ Macé, Maxime; Plottu, Pierre. "Gettr, le nouveau réseau social préféré de la fachosphère française". Libération (in French). Retrieved January 26, 2022.
- ^ Inter, la rédaction numérique de France (November 10, 2021). "Lol, trumpistes et logorrhées réacs, voici Gettr, le nouveau réseau social de l'extrême droite". www.franceinter.fr (in French). Retrieved January 26, 2022.
- ^ Jenkins, Jack (January 26, 2022). "How the Capitol attacks helped spread Christian nationalism in the extreme right". The Washington Post.
- ^ Petrizzo, Zachary (December 21, 2021). "Jason Miller's 'Free Speech' Social Media Platform Gettr Boots White Nationalist". The Daily Beast. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
- ^ Petrizzo, Zachary (December 24, 2021). "Jason Miller's 'Free Speech' Site Gettr Site Bans Users From Posting Racist Term 'Groyper'". The Daily Beast. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
- ^ Petrizzo, Zachary (December 24, 2021). "Jason Miller's 'Free Speech' Site Gettr Site Bans Users From Posting Racist Term 'Groyper'". The Daily Beast. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
- ^ Keilman, John (March 29, 2021). "Cancel proof? Activists are trying to get Nick Fuentes, a far-right video streamer from the western suburbs, kicked off the internet. It might be impossible". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
- ^ Teh, Cheryl. "Joe Rogan slams social media platform Gettr, calling it 'f---ery' and 'fugazi' just days after joining". Business Insider. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
- ^ "Joe Rogan Joined Gettr 10 Days Ago and Already Thinks It Sucks". Gizmodo. January 12, 2022. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
- ^ Petrizzo, Zachary (January 11, 2022). "Joe Rogan Drags Gettr 'Fuckery' Days After Joining the MAGA Twitter Alternative". The Daily Beast. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
- ^ Dustin, Volz; Needleman, Sarah E. (September 7, 2023). "Chinese Propagandists Set Up Shop on Fringe Social-Media Site, Researchers Say". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
- ^ Lybrand, Holmes (August 5, 2024). "Virginia man charged with threatening to kill Vice President Kamala Harris". CNN. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
- ^ "Criminal complaint". www.documentcloud.org. U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia. August 2, 2024. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
- ^ "GETTR CEO explains the origin of the name "GETTR"".
- ^ Woodward, Alex (July 1, 2021). "Ex-Trump aide launches new social platform but former president won't join". The Independent. Archived from the original on July 2, 2021. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
- ^ "Can GETTR go the distance?". The Spectator World. November 18, 2021. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
- ^ Swisher, Kara; Galloway, Scott (July 27, 2021). "Pivot: Tokyo Games Can't Catch a Break, Klobuchar Targets Vaccine Misinformation, and Friend of Pivot Eliot Brown on Apple Podcasts". Pivot (Podcast). Vox Media: Podcast Network. Event occurs at 6:42. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
External links
[edit]Gettr
View on GrokipediaFounding and Principles
Origins and Key Founders
Gettr was established in mid-2021 by Jason Miller, a veteran Republican communications strategist who had served as a senior advisor and spokesman for Donald Trump's 2020 presidential campaign. Miller, previously involved in high-profile political operations including Trump's transition team, positioned the platform as an alternative to dominant social media networks amid growing concerns over content moderation practices on sites like Twitter, especially after Trump's account suspension in January 2021.[1][7] In June 2021, Miller stepped away from his advisory role with Trump to focus on Gettr, assuming the position of CEO to lead its development and rollout.[8] The platform's origins trace to efforts to create a "marketplace of ideas" free from what Miller described as political censorship and cancel culture, drawing on conservative critiques of Silicon Valley's influence.[9] Early funding support was secured from the Rule of Law Foundation, an entity linked to Guo Wengui, a self-exiled Chinese billionaire and vocal opponent of the Chinese Communist Party who has faced U.S. legal scrutiny for unrelated fraud allegations.[10] This backing, while enabling the platform's swift launch, later drew attention due to Guo's controversial profile and his 2023 arrest on charges unrelated to Gettr. No other individuals are prominently credited as co-founders in initial announcements, with Miller's political network and operational leadership central to the venture's inception.[11] Gettr's formal debut occurred on July 4, 2021, a date selected to evoke themes of American independence and resistance to perceived tech oligarchy control.[1][11] Miller emphasized the platform's roots in fostering open discourse, stating it would prioritize user-generated content without algorithmic suppression based on ideological viewpoints.[7]Core Mission and Free Speech Emphasis
Gettr was founded with the core mission of building a social media platform centered on freedom of opinion and expression, emphasizing free speech and independent thought.[2] The platform explicitly rejects political censorship and cancel culture, positioning itself as an alternative to mainstream networks accused of suppressing dissenting views.[2] [7] This commitment manifests in Gettr's stated goals of combating cancel culture, advancing common sense, and safeguarding free speech against the dominance of big tech monopolies in shaping discourse.[12] [13] Launched on July 4, 2021, by Jason Miller, a former senior advisor to Donald Trump, the date was selected to evoke a symbolic declaration of independence from restrictive platform policies.[11] [1] Gettr's leadership has underscored its dedication to guaranteeing free speech protections not consistently offered by competitors such as Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram.[14] By fostering an environment for unhindered communication, the platform aims to serve as a utility for micro-blogging, livestreaming, and video sharing, appealing particularly to users who experienced deplatforming on legacy sites.[2]Historical Development
Launch and Initial Rollout (2021)
Gettr was publicly launched on July 4, 2021, coinciding with Independence Day in the United States, by Jason Miller, who served as a senior communications advisor to former President Donald Trump during his 2020 reelection campaign.[1][7] Miller assumed the role of CEO, with the platform developed by a team including former Trump campaign officials such as Tim Murtaugh as a media affairs consultant.[7] The initiative emerged amid widespread deplatforming of Trump and his supporters from major sites like Twitter and Facebook following the January 6, 2021, Capitol events, positioning Gettr as a "marketplace of ideas" free from what its founders described as Big Tech censorship.[15] The mobile app became available for download on Apple and Google stores in mid-June 2021, enabling pre-launch testing and early registrations before the formal rollout.[7] Core initial features mirrored Twitter's microblogging format, including post sharing, follower imports from competitors, and basic multimedia uploads, with an emphasis on uncensored discourse to attract users disillusioned by content moderation on legacy platforms.[7][16] Miller promoted the site as non-partisan yet appealing to conservatives, explicitly rejecting cancel culture while aiming for broad appeal.[1] Initial adoption surged, with Gettr reporting over 1 million user registrations within three days of launch, surpassing Twitter's early growth pace of 24 months for the same milestone.[2] Sensor Tower data indicated approximately 1.3 million global installs by early July, predominantly from the United States followed by Brazil.[6] High-profile endorsements from figures like Rep. Matt Gaetz and early sign-ups by conservative influencers drove visibility, though Trump himself did not join, focusing instead on his separate Truth Social venture.[15][12] The rollout faced immediate technical hurdles, including a security breach on July 5, 2021, where hackers compromised accounts of prominent users like Miller and Gaetz, posting explicit content and exposing vulnerabilities in the nascent platform's defenses.[6] Despite these issues, Gettr's team issued rapid patches and emphasized resilience against attacks, attributing them to ideological opponents.[6] By late July, user activity began stabilizing, with daily posts peaking early before a reported decline, signaling challenges in sustaining momentum beyond the initial conservative influx.[17]Expansion and Feature Additions (2022–2023)
In 2022, Gettr experienced significant user growth, with daily active users increasing by 158% platform-wide, including 246% growth in the United States, 266% in Brazil, and 743% in the United Kingdom.[4] The platform also reported 310 million livestreaming views and 11 million views for its Vision short-video feature, reflecting expanded engagement amid broader market challenges for social media.[3] January 2022 alone saw over 1,000,000 new users join, contributing to Gettr's positioning as a rapidly scaling alternative to established networks.[18] Feature development accelerated with the rollout of the Vision short-video tool in beta, designed to rival TikTok and Instagram Reels by enabling user-generated clips for expressive content sharing.[19] Subsequent upgrades to Vision included enhanced video editing options such as new transitions, effects, filters, support for multiple clip uploads, and 23 additional visual effects, broadening creative capabilities for content creators.[20] Gettr introduced an edit button for all users, allowing corrections to posts within one hour of publication and up to five edits per post, predating similar functionality on Twitter (now X).[21] Direct messaging became available across iOS, Android, and desktop platforms for the platform's nearly six million users, facilitating private communication without prior restrictions.[22] In-app image editing tools were added, permitting users to apply filters and modifications directly within the platform.[2] Into 2023, app updates continued to emphasize usability enhancements and bug fixes, with ongoing iterations to Vision and core posting mechanics, though specific milestone announcements tapered compared to 2022's surge.[23] These additions aimed to differentiate Gettr through technology-focused improvements, prioritizing uncensored expression alongside competitive multimedia tools.[2]Recent Growth and Challenges (2024–2025)
In 2024, Gettr's user base and engagement showed signs of stagnation relative to competitors, with website traffic totaling 1.17 million visits in September 2025—a 3.22% increase from August but accompanied by a 5.03% decline in organic search traffic month-over-month.[24] App install metrics indicated approximately 770,000 downloads in 2025 year-to-date, suggesting incremental but limited expansion amid broader alt-tech market dynamics.[25] Early 2024 estimates placed Gettr's monthly active users at around 175,000, significantly trailing Truth Social's 1.4 million and dwarfed by X's 42 million.[26] The platform faced heightened competition from established alternatives, particularly following Donald Trump's increased activity on X, which drew conservative users away from niche sites like Gettr.[27] Efforts to position Gettr as an "everything app" with enhanced free speech features yielded minimal reported gains in adoption metrics.[3] Financial challenges intensified in 2024 due to the March arrest and ongoing detention of key investor Guo Wengui on fraud charges, disrupting funding flows from the Guo Family Foundation—Gettr's primary backer, which had contributed to its $75 million total raise.[28][29] By February 2024, the company reportedly operated without an approved budget since December 2023, raising concerns over operational sustainability and prompting internal uncertainty, though no mass layoffs were publicly confirmed.[29] These issues compounded user retention difficulties in a crowded market favoring platforms with greater scale and celebrity endorsement.[27]Technical and Platform Features
Core Mechanics and User Interface
Gettr functions as a microblogging platform where users post short-form content limited to 777 characters per message, allowing attachments of up to six images or videos up to three minutes in length.[18][30] Users can also conduct livestreams and utilize Gtok, an integrated tool for sharing and editing images and videos.[31] Content creation supports text, media uploads, and in-app editing for personalization, with posts disseminated to followers via a central timeline.[32] The user interface mirrors early Twitter designs, featuring a mobile-optimized layout accessible via iOS and Android apps or web browser, with primary navigation tabs for home feed, search, notifications, and user profiles.[23] Interactions include liking posts by tapping a heart icon that turns red to indicate endorsement (reversible by tapping again), reposting to share content with attribution, and commenting directly under posts to foster threaded discussions.[33] Notifications aggregate user mentions, likes, reposts, and follows in reverse chronological order, prioritizing recent activity at the top.[34] The home feed primarily displays posts from followed accounts in reverse chronological sequence, emphasizing unfiltered, real-time updates over algorithmic curation, though a breaking news section curates timely headlines for broader discovery.[31] Profiles showcase user bios, follower counts, and pinned posts, with search functionality enabling topic-based exploration without evident heavy reliance on recommendation algorithms.[2] This structure supports rapid sharing of opinions, news, and media while maintaining simplicity for user navigation across devices.[23]Innovations and Distinctions from Competitors
Gettr distinguishes itself from competitors like X (formerly Twitter) through early implementation of user-requested features, such as an edit button for posts, which allows corrections up to one hour after publication with a limit of five edits per post, predating X's similar rollout.[21] This functionality addresses a long-standing limitation in microblogging platforms, enabling users to refine content without deleting and reposting, while maintaining transparency via edit history visibility. Additionally, Gettr introduced cross-posting to X, permitting seamless sharing of content across platforms to broaden reach without duplicating efforts.[35] In multimedia capabilities, Gettr integrates advanced short-video tools under its GTok and Vision features, positioning it as a competitor to TikTok and Instagram Reels with capabilities like one-minute video recording, a library exceeding 100,000 music tracks, augmented reality filters, and automated editing transitions.[19] Users benefit from autocut compilation of multiple photos and videos from device libraries, alongside automatic closed captioning for accessibility via subtitle generation on uploaded or selected videos.[36] [37] Recent upgrades include expanded video editing with new effects, filters, and multi-clip uploads, enhancing creative output beyond basic posting on text-focused rivals like Parler or Truth Social.[20] Livestreaming innovations include real-time multilingual subtitle translation supporting 12 languages, such as English, Arabic, Mandarin, and Hindi, facilitating global audience engagement without manual interpretation.[38] Gettr also incorporates encrypted messaging, adding a layer of private communication absent or less emphasized in platforms like early Parler iterations.[31] These elements combine with its core microblogging interface—similar to X but augmented for video and live content—to form an "all-in-one" ecosystem emphasizing expression over strict text timelines.[2] While competitors like Truth Social prioritize niche political audiences with basic mirroring of X's mechanics, Gettr's technical expansions aim at broader utility, though its user base remains smaller, highlighting adoption challenges despite feature parity or precedence.[5]Content Ecosystem and Moderation
Dominant Content Themes
Prominent accounts on Gettr frequently engage in discussions of politically divisive issues, with analyses showing high prevalence of posts on topics such as vaccines and vaccine mandates (37% of sampled prominent accounts in June 2022), abortion (36%), and the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot (35%).[5] These themes often reflect conservative perspectives, including skepticism toward COVID-19 vaccines and mandates, opposition to abortion rights following the 2022 Dobbs decision, and defenses of participants in the Capitol events against mainstream narratives of insurrection.[5] [39] Content analysis of early user activity highlights a strong emphasis on pro-Trump sentiment, with frequent posts supporting former President Donald Trump, critiquing perceived left-wing ideologies, and promoting conspiracy theories related to election integrity and media bias.[39] Additional recurring topics include gun rights advocacy (aligned with Second Amendment support), criticism of big tech censorship, and anti-establishment rhetoric targeting institutions like the mainstream media and federal government.[5] Users often share memes, short videos, and live streams amplifying these views, positioning Gettr as a hub for unfiltered conservative discourse.[40] While the platform hosts a range of user-generated material beyond politics—such as lifestyle posts, entertainment, and personal updates—the dominant volume and engagement stem from ideological content that challenges progressive orthodoxies, including attacks on "woke" culture and defenses of traditional values.[39] Longitudinal studies indicate persistence of these patterns, with network structures reinforcing echo chambers around right-leaning themes rather than diverse ideological exchange.[40] Observers from academic sources note the presence of extreme elements, such as fringe theories, but attribute this to the platform's minimal moderation, which prioritizes open debate over content curation.[41]Moderation Approach and Free Speech Balance
Gettr positions its moderation as a commitment to free speech principles, emphasizing minimal intervention to counter perceived censorship on mainstream platforms, while enforcing boundaries for legal compliance and basic user safety. The platform's official Community Guidelines outline prohibitions on content depicting torture, graphic violence, non-consensual sexual acts, child exploitation, and direct threats of harm, alongside restrictions on spam, scams, and illegal activities such as terrorism promotion or solicitation of sex.[42] These rules aim to balance open expression with preventing demonstrable harm, differing from stricter content removal practices on sites like Twitter (now X) or Facebook, which often target misinformation or hate speech deemed subjective by critics.[5] In practice, Gettr's approach has resulted in lighter moderation, allowing politically charged discourse that might be curtailed elsewhere, but it has enforced removals and bans for guideline violations. For instance, in January 2022, the platform banned right-wing pundit Ethan Ralph for using the N-word in his profile bio, despite its free speech branding. Similarly, in December 2021, Gettr blocked the term "groyper"—associated with white nationalist circles—platform-wide after suspending user Nick Fuentes, prompting backlash from some conservatives who viewed it as inconsistent censorship. Early operational errors, such as the inadvertent suspension of Roger Stone's account in August 2021 due to fake account reports, were quickly reversed, highlighting an evolving moderation process reliant on user flags and automated tools rather than proactive scrubbing.[43][44][45] This balance has drawn scrutiny for permitting persistent extreme content, including jihadist propaganda shortly after launch in July 2021, which terms of service allow removal for but did not always prompt swift action, leading to observations of unmoderated terrorist material. Pew Research Center analysis in 2023 confirmed Gettr moderates beyond mere spam or legal mandates, yet less aggressively than legacy platforms, fostering a space for uncensored conservative viewpoints while risking amplification of fringe elements due to scaled-back oversight. User-driven flagging supplements official efforts, though reports of informal group monitoring—such as by anti-China activists censoring critics—suggest decentralized influences can mimic top-down control in pockets. Overall, Gettr's model prioritizes user autonomy and legal minimalism over comprehensive content curation, aligning with its founding ethos but exposing tensions between absolutist free speech rhetoric and practical necessities of platform viability.[46][5][47]User Base and Adoption
Growth Metrics and Statistics
Gettr achieved rapid initial adoption after its launch on July 4, 2021, accumulating approximately 946,000 app downloads across the App Store and Google Play in its first week.[48] The platform reported reaching 1 million users within three days, positioning itself as one of the fastest-growing social media apps at inception.[2] By early 2022, Gettr claimed nearly 7 million users spanning 192 countries, alongside over 280 million livestream views.[49] Independent analysis corroborated earlier growth, estimating 1.5 million users by August 2021.[50] In 2022, the platform recorded year-over-year increases including 246% in U.S. sign-ups, 266% in Brazil, and 743% in the United Kingdom, with daily active users rising 158% platform-wide.[4] Gettr announced surpassing 10 million users in July 2023.[29] Subsequent data shows slowed momentum, with app analytics reporting over 770,000 installs in 2025.[25] A 2023 survey indicated limited broader penetration, with only 1% of U.S. adults regularly using Gettr for news.[5]| Period | Reported Metric | Source Attribution |
|---|---|---|
| July 2021 | ~946,000 downloads (first week) | Appfigures estimates[48] |
| August 2021 | 1.5 million users | Stanford FSI analysis[50] |
| Early 2022 | 7 million users (192 countries) | Gettr press release[49] |
| 2022 | DAU +158%; U.S. growth +246% | Gettr press release[4] |
| July 2023 | >10 million users | Gettr announcement[29] |
| 2025 | 770,000+ installs | AppstoreSpy analytics[25] |