Truth Social Is Full of Junk Ads ⇥ nytimes.com

Stuart Thompson, New York Times:

Ads from major brands are nonexistent on the site. Instead, the ads on Truth Social are for alternative medicine, diet pills, gun accessories and Trump-themed trinkets, according to an analysis of hundreds of ads on the social network by The New York Times.

The ads reflect the difficulty that several far-right platforms, including Rumble and Gab, have faced in courting large brands, preventing the sites from tapping into some of the world’s largest ad budgets. It could be particularly problematic for Truth Social. Although the site has gained influence among the far right, becoming a vibrant ecosystem brimming with activity, its business is in need of cash.

It is so weird because I have been reading for the past several years that platforms engage in careful moderation practices primarily to oppress and censor beleaguered voices like those on Truth Social, this being the very reason for the launch of that platform, Gab, and other apparently free speech absolutist sites. Knowledgeable people — or, as they are more often known, Marxist-Fascist Censorship Lovers Who Just Love Censoring So Much — have repeatedly articulated the economic rationales for moderation: a perceived free-for-all atmosphere can increase harassment and hate speech, which turns away users; most advertisers want a larger audience and do not want their product or service sandwiched between posts from white supremacists. But why should you believe them and also your own eyes? Go buy a copy of “The Kids’ Guide to Media Bias and Fake News” and some off-brand toenail cream today, patriot.