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Social video site favored by conservatives just moved to Florida. DeSantis is 'thrilled'
The video-sharing website that bills itself as a YouTube alternative and "immune to cancel culture" has opened in Florida, marking a new home for the conservative-favored platform. Rumble, which also operates in Toronto, announced the grand opening of its U.S. corporate headquarters in Longboat Key, near Sarasota on the state's Gulf Coast.
What to know about Rumble and its new Florida presence:
What is Rumble?
Favored by conservative leaders: The controversial video platform, which hosts all kinds of video content from viral videos to political talk shows, has been welcomed and endorsed by conservative leaders. Gov. Ron DeSantis previously issued a statement praising Rumble's decision to relocate.
Gov. Ron DeSantis
Reaction: "We are thrilled to welcome Rumble to Florida, and we support its mission to promote free expression and stand up to Big Tech censorship," said DeSantis, who has adopted Rumble as his preferred site for uploading new videos, including Tuesday's State of the State speech.
Where is Rumble's new headquarters in Florida?
From the CEO: Rumble's new U.S. headquarters is on the south end of Longboat Key in Sarasota County, according to the company's website. "Opening the new office is a monumental step for Rumble as we continue to invest in our employees," said Chris Pavlovski, the company's chairman and CEO, who previously vowed to invest $50 million in the move.
Background:The Sarasota County Commission previously voted to support Rumble's relocation with an economic incentive grant worth $825,000. Board members later overturned the decision following backlash from residents who criticized Rumble's 24/7 broadcast of RT, Russia's state-controlled news network, WUSF reported.
In the past year, Sarasota has become an attractive home for conservative media. Former President Donald Trump registered Trump Media & Technology Group—the company behind the Truth Social Twitter competitor—with a headquarters in Sarasota.
Creator studio for Rumble
Now open: On Tuesday, the company announced that its new creator studio is open for business. Rumble already operates a similar creator studio in Miami, which has seen visits from Donald Trump Jr. and political commentator Dave Rubin.
What are the issues with Rumble?
Misinformation: While Pavlovski describes the website as "a platform that cannot be canceled or censored," the website has also become a hotbed for misinformation. Rumble's lax content moderation has resulted in the promotion of false conspiracies about COVID-19 vaccines and the 2020 election, WIRED reports.
Content moderation: Since launching in 2013, Rumble has become a go-to website for conservative activists looking to avoid content moderation restrictions on other social media platforms, like YouTube, Twitter and Facebook. Famous conservative commentators such as Kimberly Guilfoyle and Dan Bongino host exclusive talk shows on Rumble.
Mission: "Rumble is a high-growth neutral video platform that is creating the rails and independent infrastructure designed to be immune to cancel culture," the company says on its website. "Rumble's mission is to restore the Internet to its roots by making it free and open once again."
2023 Miami Herald.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
