MyPillow guy’s free speech site bans curse words

‘Huge letdown’: Telegram users on Lindell’s verified channel express frustration at signing up for VIP access to new social media network that still hasn’t opened despite announcement

The new social media network promoted by MyPillow CEO and Trump supporter Mike Lindell failed to come online on Friday, as was planned.

Mr Lindell posted a video on a placeholder website, in which he announced that people who wanted early access to the site could send in their phone numbers to get VIP status on the new platform, which would start operations "Thursday night at midnight.”

Thursday night came and went, and eventually, confused fans took to Telegram to express their frustration. On Mr Lindell's verified channel on Telegram, one user wrote: "I expected a VIP launch midnight Thursday but nothing. What's up?"

Another account holder added: "It seems the site did not go live the way it was supposed to. Not sure what the issue is but it is a huge letdown that's for sure. After all the hype."

Disappointed, another user wrote on Friday morning: "No communication, no text....no one knows what is going on. Doesn't feel good."

The reason for the lack of pre-launch of the website, called FrankSpeech, still isn't clear.

In the video on the placeholder site, Mr Lindell claimed it would be like a combination of YouTube and Twitter. He added that work on the website had been going on for four years.

"Over the last four weeks, I've spent millions of dollars," Mr Lindell said, adding that the money was spent to make the platform secure and to make sure it can handle an influx of users.

"We're going to be attacked, but I have my own servers," he said, adding: "We're not going to be worried about Amazon taking it down, or YouTube, or Google, or Apple."

The launch of the full-sized network will take place on Monday 19 April, at 9am, Mr Lindell claimed in the video. He said the launch would be a two-day "Frankathon".

"I'm going to be live on there all day long," he said.

Promoted as a free speech site, there will still be limits on what you will be able to do on the network.

Mr Lindell told Eric Metaxas’ radio programme on Monday: "You're not going to be able to swear.

There will be four words for sure you can't say: You can't say the C-word, the N-word, the F-word, and you can't use God's name in vain. What a concept. Right?"

Some Telegram users said they received error codes after signing up with their phone numbers on the placeholder site.

A user named Lisa Perez said: "Well, it did not launch at midnight for us VIP like it was supposed to. Or did I miss something. Midnight their time is 2 a.m. here, I waited for it and nothing."

An account holder going by Frank Combs said: "I just thought of something everybody, instead of midnight tonight, maybe Mike meant noon?"

A notice on the site states: "To protect against SPAM, we send a limited amount of valid confirmation codes to a single phone number. If you've tried more than this amount, you may have been blocked - please try again later."

Mr Lindell was banned from Twitter in January for spreading lies about the 2020 election.

The Independent has reached out to Mr Lindell for comment.