The Zello Tapes: The Walkie-Talkie App Used On January 6th

[ItsjustMe]

https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/otm/segments/zello-tapes-walkie-talkie-app-used-january-6th-on-the-media

In October 2020, On the Media reporter/producer Micah Loewinger brought us a deep dive into Zello, a walkie-talkie app that had become home to militia recruitment and organizing. Back then, teaming up with Hampton Stall, the founder of MilitiaWatch, Micah documented hundreds of far-right channels on the app. But Zello refused to shut them down. In a statement, the company told Micah that while Zello would make these militia channels harder — at least for outsiders — to find, they would not shut them down because they felt it would encroach on free speech. And, Zello said, they couldn’t possibly monitor all the content on its platform, anyway.

Listen to how they reacted to President Trump’s 2:38 tweet in real-time.

Link to tweet

[NJCher]

1. They took

Trump real seriously.

Notice use of the term “stand down.” They adopted the bloviator’s language.

[Boomerproud]

2. Zello is very happy to take the militia money, just don't care what they do.

Got it.