Trump-aligned tech barons are now set to control nearly all major US social media platforms.

[CousinIT]

Right-wing billionaires own ALL the traditional television, radio and print media in the US, including 99% of the social media platforms. Exceptions: BlueSky, PBS, Free Speech TV, NPR, and various Substacks. The Atlantic, Brennan Center for Justice, ProPublica, and some other print/online news outlets. Only smatterings and scatterings of non-dominating outlets are owned and controlled by the public, subscribers, or non-billionaires. Concentrated ownership of mainstream media in all its forms is a grave threat to Democracy. IMO, it should be forbidden for billionaires to own news or social media outlets. Period. Why? It's a threat to Democracy. HANDS OFF the people's media.

https://truthout.org/articles/new-us-tiktok-spinoff-will-be-controlled-by-trump-aligned-billionaires/

The deal puts Trump-aligned tech barons — Oracle’s Larry Ellison, X’s Elon Musk, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg — in firm control of virtually all major U.S. social media platforms.

In addition to its ominous bodings for media freedom in the U.S. — one-fifth of Americans get their news from TikTok — the deal comes as many TikTok users are already alleging censorship of content ranging from criticisms of federal immigration agents’ killing of Alex Pretti to rebuttals of the Department of Homeland Security’s rationales for entering homes without judicial warrants.

Moreover, many of the key owners of the new U.S. TikTok spinoff have professed and demonstrated commitments to Israel and its Prime Minister Benjamin Netayahu and have donated prolifically to pro-Israel groups — a fact worth noting since U.S. politicians have openly criticized TikTok for exposing users to Israel’s genocide in Gaza, in addition to the prime rationale behind the attacks on TikTok tied to inter-imperial rivalry with China.

TikTok’s New Algorithm Oligarch
A coterie of U.S. megabillionaires — including three of the world’s very wealthiest oligarchs, whose combined wealth is inching toward a half-trillion dollars — sit atop the new TikTok spinoff.

[Irish_Dem]

1. Trump Crime Syndicate medial propaganda arm controls all media.

[Scrivener7]

2. "Nearly." If WE used the others, it would render the maga-owned ones useless.

But there doesn't seem to be any will to do that. People keep using the platforms whose clear goal is to subjugate them and take away their rights.

It's like begging to be hit in the face with a 2x4.

[CousinIT]

3. That's exactly why I'm not on ANY of those mainstream platforms.

I'm on BlueSky ONLY. If they go to right-wing billionaire-land, I'm OUT.

I do not watch any mainstream news anymore, other than a few shows on MS.NOW (God, I hate that name). Other than that, FSTV and PBS plus Substacks and various online and print magazines.

People need to GTFO those platforms, as you say, render them useless. Leave them for the Nazis and ingoramouses.

[mainer]

4. For the moment, only BlueSky seems safe

I hope our faith in its independence is well-placed.