Beyond X: why Africa needs its own neutral social media space
Many have claimed that Elon Musk has destroyed Twitter and I’ve argued that he transformed it into something else. My thinking on the Musk impact is evolving. I’m now convinced that Elon Musk has destroyed Twitter (now X) as a neutral platform with no national allegiance.
It was one thing for Twitter to be headquartered in the US, it is something else for X owner to work indirectly for a government.
Chinese tech companies have been accused of close links with a government which then impacted on their neutrality as businesses.
Under normal circumstances national alignment with a government should not be an issue as long as there’s disclosure. For a tech company that seeks to have global appeal, its alignment with a government can be problematic. X is in a dilemma fuelled by its close alignment to a government. Considering the closeness of major tech companies to the US, is it not time for national social media platforms?
In an ideal world social media should be neutral. Their neutrality allows them to be free of abuse. Users of a neutral social media platform can engage on it without fear.
The current social media landscape creates a need for change. Gone are the days of social media platforms without any form of bias. The current status quo creates a need for a new social media platform in South Africa and perhaps a platform for the African continent.
The previous era of social media has taught us that these platforms come with embedded values. An African social media platform would have to embrace African value systems and its aspirations.
No one can deny the fact that current social media platforms are littered with negative and harmful content. In current versions of social media platforms there’s no shortage useless activities that are not adding value to society. At the same time current social media platforms have promoted entrepreneurship with the rise of the creator economy.
Some platforms have become a useful environment for learning. All of these attributes are worthy of emulation by any potential African social media platform. It would have to consider some of the pressing issues within the continent. Instead of serving as a platform for misinformation and disinformation it can serve as a platform for sharing quality information that enable commerce between citizens. It can connect provinces and countries for all things that are upbuilding. South Africa can take a lead, as a country that once created a leading social media platform.
Although Mxit, a free instant messaging application, had its shortcomings, it also had positive features that were truly useful. One that comes to mind is the manner in which RLabs used Mxit to rehabilitate young people who were once in prison. Mxit could not survive for commercial reasons. A potential African social media would have to avoid the mistakes committed by the Mxit leadership. More importantly, such a social media platform would have to embrace “Ubuntu” and fill African communities with pride in a sea of social media platforms that are shameful.
Musk had an opportunity to save Twitter. He has, however, created a reason for an alternative form of a social media platform. The question is who will build it?
Wesley Diphoko is a Technology Analyst and Editor-In-Chief of FastCompany (SA) magazine.
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