Practical Ways for Christians to Deal with Big Tech
Preparing for What's to Come
Introduction:
Following the events of January 6th and the de-platforming of President Trump, Big Tech is becoming ever more aggressive against dissenters. Given their behavior in the years leading up to 2021, this should have surprised absolutely no one. And if current trajectories continue, more and more heads will have to roll to satiate the left’s bloodlust. Before you know it, it could be your neck being shoved in the guillotine. Thus, it’s important for Christians to begin to prepare for that eventuality.
And how should Christians prepare for and deal with the de-platforming trend? It starts by being a member of a strong local church and building bonds with those people, face-to-face, worshipping God together. Building tight-knit Christian communities in real life is the best way to buttress against de-platforming, which primarily takes place online. But the Internet is a part of real life now, and it’s here to stay. So we certainly shouldn’t abandon the Internet; on the contrary, we should seek to use it effectively to further the kingdom of God, which means addressing Big Tech.
The Power of Big Tech
Social media censorship is where this era of political de-platforming got its start. And since most political dialogue occurs over social media now, controlling who has access and what can be said there shifts the Overton Window dramatically. If that wasn’t bad enough, a major way Big Tech companies make money is by selling your data to advertisers. While this alone is creepy enough, once you check the “I agree” box, they get to keep your data forever. And if these companies are already using their platforms against dissidents, it’s a good guess that at some point, they’ll begin using your data as well.
I’m not suggesting we need to cut ourselves off from Big Tech altogether (that might not even be possible), or that it’s a sin to have a Twitter account. It’s our position that we ought to try to retain as large a voice as possible, and thus stay on platforms like Twitter and YouTube for as long as possible. We are permitted to associate with non-Christians (1 Corinthians 5:10), and Paul also lays out (Romans 14) that, provided we aren’t sinning or directly participating in their sin, we are at liberty to associate with non-Christians as our conscience allows. However, in all probability, the reach Christians are allowed on these platforms will continue to diminish, and we ought to have a Plan B.
It’s also imperative that we recognize the threat for what it is. What the left is attempting to do to its ideological enemies is to sever their communication channels and supply lines. Obviously, while we don’t need to abandon our current position, we do need to have backups. Relying on their networks and hoping for them to be nice to us makes it that much easier for those who want to persecute us. And while we’re not undergoing persecution yet, “cancel culture” is certainly a precursor to persecution. And for those who think we have a “persecution complex,”1 dealing with a random rude person here and there is one thing; billion-dollar corporations systematically ending the careers of certain people, with the full approval of the media and half the country is quite another. So given the gravity of the situation, it would be prudent for us to begin taking steps to loosen the hold Big Tech companies have over us.
Many other people have seen just this need. Since social media is such a powerful tool for the left, folks on the right (plus politically neutral folks2) have begun building alternative platforms which are much more open to unpopular views and dissident thinkers. And thankfully, most of these platforms are built to respect user privacy as well. These companies generally earn revenue via donations and selling special verified accounts to users instead of harvesting user data. The alternative platforms are broadly known as “Alt Tech,” and we think these platforms are the future of Christianity on the Web. So, in the spirit of subverting Big Tech, here are some recommendations.
Recommendations
Telegram:
Telegram is currently the only app which is used by the mainstream which is also mostly censorship free.3 They’ve moved location several times (currently based in Dubai) in order to avoid government regulations, which seems like a good sign. Telegram can function both as a text messaging app and as a social networking app since it has channels and chatrooms as well. Our Telegram channel can be found here: https://t.me/protestantpost
Duck Duck Go:
Duck Duck Go is a privacy-oriented browser that can be easily added as a browser extension to Chrome.
Brave:
Brave is, in my opinion, a slightly better browser than DDG, but not quite as convenient. The fellow who started Brave, Brendan Eich, was a co-founder of Mozilla (the company which owns Firefox) and in 2014, he was appointed CEO. However, due to previous political donations opposing same-sex “marriage,” a pressure campaign against him began, and he resigned about two weeks later. As far as I’m aware, he didn’t retract his views, though he did commit to some standard issue nonsense like “working with the LGBT community.” And in 2020, he questioned the effectiveness of masking and lockdowns. So I would hazard a guess he’s not on the left.
Gab:
Gab is designed much like Twitter. Aside from being a good micro-blogging app, their founder, Andrew Torba, is awesome. He is a Christian (seems to be a reformed theonomist), and seems to be committed to using Gab as a launching pad for a Christian economy. Remember, since Gab is banned from the app store, you’ll have to download the app directly from their site. You can find C.J., myself, and the Protestant Post group on Gab.
Parler:
I’ll be honest; I’m not a huge fan of Parler. Their lack of preparedness for the coordinated strike following the Capitol riot was inexcusable because the same thing happened to Gab back in 2018 when they were much smaller. They should have expected this, and this ignorance of what the left can/will do to you is a problem, but hopefully they’re learning. They also temporarily banned Milo Yiannopoulos for saying, among other offensive things, that gays should be hanged. While they quickly reinstated him, it doesn’t bode well.
MeWe:
MeWe functions much like a superior Facebook, and it also has a much larger user base than most apps. In addition, it has many groups not dedicated to politics and thus can be quite refreshing. You can join the Protestant Post group here: https://mewe.com/join/protestantpost
Odysee:
I’m not as familiar with video-sharing platforms, but I’m becoming increasingly convinced that Odysee is the best alternative. It’s on blockchain, and so it’s literally impossible to censor. I’ve heard about Rumble and BitChute, but they are in the U.S. and U.K. respectively, and thus at some point, there will be political pressure on them to censor (BitChute has already dealt with that). So I think Odysee will the best platform in the future. Unfortunately, I don’t have a fully functioning channel there yet, but as I learn how to use it, we’ll get a channel up there.
Conclusion:
And there are my recommendations, everyone. If we can start building our alternatives, we’ll be much better positioned to deal with censorship. Beyond getting on some of these platforms yourself, I would suggest that you ask your favorite speakers and writers to do the same. But don’t forget to follow us first!
Someone with a persecution complex interprets every less-than-pleasant interaction as an attack on their faith. While those of us who are more socially well-adjusted can rightly laugh at this, the situation currently facing us is far different.
Obviously using “neutral” as a relative term here. #presuppositionalapologetics