Republicans who feel Silicon Valley harbors a bias against conservative views are developing their own online networks, according to a Saturday report in The New York Times.
The Times highlighted a new generation of mobile applications made for the National Rifle Association and the Great America pro-Trump political action committee (PAC), which deliver curated partisan news feeds on what are effectively private social media platforms.
These apps are gaining attention at a time when Silicon Valley has been accused repeatedly of using their power to stifle right-leaning voices.
"People with center-right views feel like the big social platforms, Facebook and Twitter, are not sympathetic to their views," said Thomas Peters, CEO of uCampaign, the Washington startup behind the NRA and Great America apps.
Peters added that the apps are "creating a safe space for people who share a viewpoint, who feel like the open social networks are not fun places for them."
While looking to propagate their message outside the offerings of Big Tech ahead of next month's midterm election, these mini-platforms also actually aim to harness the enormous reach of those networks. The Times noted that the right-leaning platforms offer options to post messages on Facebook and Twitter that are scripted by the campaigns.
Democratic candidates, including former President Barack Obama, have used consumer-facing apps to promote their political campaigns and advocacy. This year, Democratic campaigns are also embracing peer-to-peer text messaging, believed to engage younger voters more than stand-alone candidate apps, the Times said.
Meanwhile, uCampaign recently started its own peer-to-peer texting platform, RumbleUp, for conservative campaigns.
The full report can be found on the New York Times' website.
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