Former US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has publicly thrown her support behind the new website Verrit, leading people to ask one vital question: what the everliving hell is a Verrit?
I’m excited to sign up for @Verrit, a media platform for the 65.8 million! Will you join me and sign up too? https://t.co/bOLSMyk6bG
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) September 3, 2017
A quick perusal of the site reveals a new hybrid social media platform, ostensibly created to combat the spread of political misinformation. Instead of unsubstantiated content being hurled around willy-nilly, Verrit claims to offer a system where users can attach verification codes to authenticated pieces of info.
It’s also a thoroughly Clinton-centred operation. Founded by Peter Daou, a political strategist who worked on Clinton’s 2016 campaign, the site’s early early outreach targets the 65.8 million American voters who voted for Clinton over her rivals. As if Clinton’s sign-on hadn’t already given it away, this isn’t exactly a non-partisan endeavour.
You’d better believe the site is still salty about her Democratic opponent Bernie Sanders, too.
https://twitter.com/verrit/status/900476746448990209
4. @Verrit is necessary because if you’re #StillWithHer, you endure constant harassment and bullying from the radical right and fringe left.
— Peter Daou (@peterdaou) September 3, 2017
At time of writing, the site is down. Daou claims it’s because of a DDoS attack aimed at Verrit due to Clinton’s endorsement. Regardless, the entire concept has been shellacked as kind of entitled and echo chamber-esque, as users ask why the objective truth should be marketed solely to Clinton’s supporters.
Me when someone tells me a “fact” that hasn’t been verrited by Verrit: That’s not true
— pixelatedboat aka “mr tweets” (@pixelatedboat) September 4, 2017
https://twitter.com/benjaminwittes/status/904500056576974848
More still have decided to run with the platform to present their own ‘facts’:
https://twitter.com/BillHumphreyMA/status/904512490150776832
https://twitter.com/aedison/status/904505241651089410
You’re doing god’s work pic.twitter.com/1kNqqUnXOM
— Bassguitar Bill (@bassguitarbill) September 4, 2017
https://twitter.com/brinepond/status/904512469351227392
We’ll let you know if any other developments arise, if the site manages to come back online.
