A popular conservative pastor is rebelling against the surge of social media censorship against Christians by launching religious alternatives to websites like Facebook, Google, and others.
News of the effort comes on the heels of Pastor Steven Andrew’s claims that he has been “shadow banned” from Facebook. The term “shadow ban” refers to a practice wherein accounts aren’t suspended or taken down outright, but their content is restricted so that followers are unable to see or share it on their own pages.
Andrew says his content typically reaches as many as 8 million people per month on Facebook alone. As of August 20, however, the social media personality reports his material has received a “99% shadow ban” — effectively killing his page’s visibility online. One post, which thanked President Donald Trump for his commitment to Christian values, was apparently shadow banned entirely.
When the pastor tried to remedy the situation by going through the proper Facebook channels, the social media site reportedly ignored his requests for clarification. Andrew says this incident is part of a larger problem that affects all Christians.
“Blocking Christians is the greatest national security danger, because God is our only hope,” Andrew said in a press release.
Rather than waiting for Facebook to get its act together, Andrew is taking steps to ensure Christians of every stripe can enjoy their social media experience without fear of being discriminated against for their beliefs. He has since built USA.Life as an alternative for Facebook, and the search engine 1776Free.com as an alternative for Google.
“Families, congregations and businesses will be able to share their faith in Jesus. However, without USA.Life and 1776Free.com, freedom and privacy could be lost forever,” Andrew said.
Andrew is using crowdfunding to finance the projects, with a goal set at $778,000. Supportes have the option to donate either $10 or $100. At the time of writing, the page has raised just short of $160,000.
~ 1776 Christian
