Pro-Trump social media platform Gettr briefly hacked after launch on July 4

Gettr, a social media platform launched by former US President Donald Trump’s senior adviser, Jason Miller, was briefly hacked as more than half a million users registered to use the site. In a statement emailed to The Verge, Miller who celebrated new users including well-known Republicans said that a problem was “sealed in a matter of minutes, and all the intruder was able to accomplish was to change a few user names.” 

He also added that Gettr had already had “more than half a million users” sign up on the platform as it launched. Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene had their pages’ header images replaced with the same message: “@JubaBaghdad was here :) ^^ free palestine ^^,” revealed screenshots. Twitter user @JubaBaghdad told Insider that it was easy to hack the pages on Gettr and explained that he had done it “just for fun.” Reportedly, the impacted profiles on the newly-launched platform appeared to be back to normal at the time of publication. 

Gettr launched on July 4

Gettr was introduced quietly on July 1  and was supposed to be launched on July 4. However, as per reports, the platform which is being touted as “cancel-free” had a soft launch in June before the Independence Day in the United States. The site and the mobile application plans to host three-minute videos, 777-character posts and live streaming video. The users are allowed to download the social media app from Google and Apple app stores. Gettr’s tagline goes, “Marketplace of Ideas.”

The “about” section of the app launched by Miller describes itself as “a brand new social media platform founded on the principles of free speech, independent thought, and rejecting political censorship and ‘cancel culture.’” Gettr has an M or “mature” rating, which implies that it’s intended for users 17-year-old  and older. 

Further, former Trump campaign spokesperson Tim Murtaugh is also involved as a consultant on the Gettr app. Reportedly, the involvement of Donald Trump still remains unclear with the newest platform along with the uncertainty attached to him making a Gettr account.

The media publication quoited a person involved with Gettr as saying, “The former president is going to make his own decision, it’s certainly there and ready for him should he make the decision — we would welcome that. There is an account reserved for him and waiting for him but that’s a decision for him to make.”

Since Trump was banned from Twitter and Facebook over the insurrection on US Capitol on January 6 and leaving the White House that same month, he has been looking for alternative ways to communicate to the wide followership he had on both social media platforms. Initially, he had launched a professional blog but that venture also ended swiftly, owing to the poor readership. Getter will reportedly also trigger questions about privacy.

IMAGE: AP/Gettr