MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell unveils name of his upcoming social media platform
Site will reportedly go live in the next two weeks
Your support helps us to tell the story
This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.
The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.
Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.
MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell has revealed the name of his forthcoming social media site.
Mr Lindell, a staunch ally of former President Donald Trump who released a three-hour "documentary" trying to prove that false claim that the 2020 election results were fraudulent, appears to be calling the site "Frank".
The website is currently just a few images and a screed.
Mr Lindell said the site would launch in 10 days to two weeks during an appearance on "The Eric Metaxas Radio Show" on Tuesday.
According to the pillow seller, he has been building the social media platform since the beginning of Mr Trump's time in office.
Read more
The actual site, which teases at the bottom that it is "coming soon", describes Frank as a "free-speech platform" before launching into a conservative culture war manifesto and apparent ego soothing project for Mr Lindell.
"Political correctness has caused many people to be shamed, marginalised, and characterised for speaking forth truth. In part, the very definition of Frank is to be forthright and sincere in your expression. What could be more American than that? It is from this perspective that this platform was named Frank," the site blurb says. "The world watched as perhaps the most visible and vocal CEO in America, Mike Lindell, became the victim of the “cancel culture” when he began to express his views on matters that the liberal media and big tech deemed to be politically incorrect."
Mr Lindell's site then conflates tech companies trying to avoid lawsuits and federal crackdowns by curbing the spread of disinformation and conspiracy theories to the suspension of the right to openly practice religion.
"It is no coincidence that nations that have free speech also have a free enterprise system and freedom of religion. Inversely, nations that deny free speech tread upon the free enterprise system and freedom of religion. Americans want to remain free.," the screed says. "Americans are craving news and information that is not filtered through the radical worldview of today’s liberal media intelligentsia, or deep state actors."
Mr Lindell's social media site will be "the platform for Americans who want to defend life, liberty, and all the freedoms that have marked America as the longest running Constitutional Republic in the history of the world."
"On this platform you will find a home where you can post videos, livestream television, distribute news and information, and find community and fellowship with likeminded Americans," the site says. "Frank will be a home for major influencers, to micro influencers, to average Americans wanting to share in the constitutional right of freedom of speech and freedom of expression"
The pillow maker's platform will not be the first attempt by conservatives to develop their own social media outlets.
Parler, Telegram and Gab were founded to provide alternatives to major social media platforms that began cracking down on disinformation, hate speech and conspiracy theories.
None of the sites have managed to successfully peel away significant numbers of users from Facebook or Twitter.
Amazon removed Parler from its web-hosting services in the wake of the Capitol insurrection. Some users on the platform used it as a means of collaborating and sharing information during the attack.
Mr Lindell and his aspirations of leading the next big social media platform may end up butting heads his beloved former president, as Mr Trump has teased that he may also release a social media platform.
"I'm doing things having to do with putting our own platform out there that you'll be hearing about soon," Mr Trump told Fox News.
If both released platforms, they would almost certainly be aimed at the same group of potential users.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments