Kanye West’s pending acquisition of Parler has reignited buzz around the social media site. But before Parler could challenge Twitter, it would have to win the battle of the conservative startups.
SO WHAT
“Just start your own Twitter” isn’t as easy as it sounds.
THE NUMBERS
Parler is struggling to build an audience, even when compared to other Twitter alternatives, Politico reported Thursday, citing web traffic numbers from Similarweb.
The number of people who use Parler on a daily basis, roughly 40,000 according to data analytics firm Apptopia, is dwarfed by Twitter’s 237 million daily active users.
- Other social media companies serving users dissatisfied by what they see as Big Tech censorship and bias against conservatives have fared better, but have fallen well short of posing an actual threat to Twitter’s market dominance.
- Truth Social, the platform founded by former President Donald Trump in October of last year, has approximately 500,000 daily active users, MarketWatch reported in April.
- Gettr has 400,000 active users, The Washington Post reported in November 2021.
Gab’s estimated user base is 100,000, The Intercept reported last year.
BIG PICTURE
Ultimately, tech titan Elon Musk’s potential acquisition of the platform may mean Twitter itself becomes the free speech haven conservatives have been searching for.
In addition to his frequent criticisms of “wokeness” and “cancel culture,” Musk has expressed support for Republican politicians.
- Musk reacted to the news that West was purchasing Parler by tweeting (and then deleting) a meme showing him, West and Trump as The Three Musketeers, alongside the names of their respective social media companies.