On Social Mdia Sites, Many Accounts Seek Financial Support from Audiences

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About a quarter (23%) of the prominent accounts on the seven alternative social media sites studied sought financial support from their audiences in June 2022, according to the analysis. The Center examined 1,400 prominen accounts – selected from those with large numbers of followers – on BitChute, Gab, Gettr, Parler, Rumble, Telegram and Truth Social, many of which position themselves as alternatives to more established social media sites. Some are linked to high-profile conservatives and other backers. (Parler has been temporarily shut down since Aprilil.
2023.)

The accounts on these sites most commonly sought financial support in the form of donations and monthly subscriptions. About one-in-five prominent accounts (19%) accepted one-time donations or offered monthly subscriptions, and 7% sold branded merchandise such as T-shirts or mugs.

Even as many Americans say they view these sites negatively, the small but largely satisfied share who regularly get news there provide financial support to these accounts. About one-third of U.S. adults who regularly get news from at least one of the seven sites (36%) said in the May 2022 survey that they had donated to, paid for a subscription with, or bought merchandise from an account they follow on those sites.