Former US President Donald Trump's aide launches new social media platform called GETTR: Everything you need to know

GETTR is available on both the Google Play Store and Apple App Store to download for free

Jason Miller, an aide to former US President Donald Trump recently launched a new platform called GETTR. Miller describes the platform as a “non-bias social network”, pitching it as an alternative to the Big Tech sites.

GETTR is available on both the Google Play Store and Apple App Store to download for free and can also be accessed through a browser. It is rated as ‘M’ for mature on the app store, which means the recommended age is 17 years and up. The interface looks a lot like Twitter, with GETTR borrowing several aspects of the microblogging site.

Politico recently reported that Miller had left his position as Trump’s spokesman to launch GETTR. In its mission statement, GETTR said that it aimed to “promote common sense, defend free speech, challenge social media monopolies, and create a true marketplace of ideas.”

GETTR also comes at a time when GOP officials in some Red States are pushing new laws to restrict voting rights after Democratic President Joe Biden saw a record election turnout, racking up over 80 million votes. In more recent news, several conservative pundits and Republican lawmakers called for the removal of American Olympian Gwen Berry from the US national team after she exercised her right to freedom of expression and turned her back on the US flag as the national anthem was being played.

GETTR follows a failed attempt by former US President Donald Trump to launch his own platform. "From the Desk of Donald Trump" was reportedly shut down due to low traffic and engagement less than a month into its launch.

GETTR also follows the launch of Parler, a conservative social media platform that was dropped by domain provider, Amazon Web Services, leading to it being temporarily offline. Additionally, Apple and Google also removed the Parler app from their respective stores in the wake of the January 6 riots. As the platform became a hub for right-wing extremism and QAnon conspirators.

As of now, it is unclear whether or not Trump will join the platform, but Bloomberg's Jennifer Jacobs reported that the former president won’t be joining Miller’s new venture and might still be planning on a separate platform.

Trump has all but been cast out of the public eye when Facebook and Twitter removed the former president from their platforms for inciting the January 6 riots at the Capitol. While Trump’s ban on Twitter is permanent, Facebook may lift its ban on the former President in 2023.

It is worth noting that free speech protections in the US do not apply to private companies, while the only way to challenge social media monopolies in the US is through Antitrust legislation, something most GOP and Democratic lawmakers are not interested in pursuing. In the last couple of years, big tech monopolies have been grilled by the US Congress and Senate, but little has come out of these hearings.