In Offering ‘Hate-Free’ Social Media, Old Worries Haunt New Apps

"Especially when it comes to activism, like-minded individuals and people who want to participate and learn will be drawn to houses and clubs, meaning we can all speak to and learn from each other in an environment that is encouraging of that."

Launched in April 2020, Clubhouse currently boasts more than eight million users worldwide.

And it's not alone in winning new users turned off by the inability of social media giants to find a way to filter out offensive content on their platforms - Mastodon, MeWe and CloutHub are just a few of the emerging names benefitting from a backlash against the likes of Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Experts, however, warn that while these alternative apps might be motivated by high ideals, they face the same issues that have dogged the giants - how to provide transparency, avoid hate speech and protect privacy, while also making money.

"I understand the desire that people have to move to new platforms," said Ayden Ferdeline, a Berlin-based public interest technologist.

"We desperately need more spaces for lawful speech, but we need these new platforms to be more transparent than Facebook or Twitter are, about how they operationalise their policies and procedures, and to be designed from day one to uphold and respect fundamental human rights."

Turned off Twitter

 A mobile phone displays the suspended status of the Twitter account of Donald J. Trump, 2021. Photo: EPA-EFE/MICHAEL REYNOLDS

Skopje-born Katarina P. spent 11 years on Twitter as an active member of the Twitter community in North Macedonia. Under an alias, Katarina, who declined to give her surname, used her profile to follow and comment on the events of any day in her home country and the...