Comments from MeWe are up.

Social media networks such as Twitter and Facebook face scrutiny from all angles. People accuse these platforms of abusing privacy, failing to prevent hate speech, and general censorship of people with certain opinions.

No wonder people are fleeing these services and seeking new online spaces that can offer something different. One such platform is MeWe, an "anti-Facebook" platform that promises privacy and freedom from advertising.

MeWe's website promises that privacy is the foundation of the online social platform and that it will not sell users' personal information to advertisers or other parties.

It also promises that you own your content, that you choose who you show it to, and that it does not use facial recognition for photos; MeWe also stated that there is no manipulation of news feeds, unlike some platforms that prefer to mix with algorithms.

In addition, MeWe has a Privacy Bill of Rights that fully outlines its policies. The gist of it is that everything is under your control and will not be sold to make money for MeWe. Most importantly, you can delete your account (and all the data it contains) at any time.

Given all this, it is not surprising that MeWe has recently seen a rapid growth in registered users; MeWe launched in 2016 and had 9 million users by October 2020, but as of this writing that number has grown to 15.5 million, half of whom are users outside the U.S.

. The free tier includes news feeds, private, group, and group chats, pages to follow, a store, voice messages, and an 8GB cloud storage drive. Beyond that, the platform can be enhanced, but that comes at a cost.

Voice and video calls cost $2 per month, as do MeWe pages and journals. Upgrading cloud storage to 50GB costs $4 per month, and custom emoji and sticker packs can be purchased for $1 each. For those who want to use many of these features, MeWe's premium tier is packed with the best features for $5 per month.

MeWe Pro also offers Slack-like features for businesses, allowing employees to communicate and collaborate online, though not so much for individuals who have fled Facebook and Twitter.

However, like other social networks, MeWe has been accused of a loose moderation approach that has allowed some controversial content to flourish.

Reportedly, it has recently become a popular platform for anti-vaccinationists, QAnon supporters, far-right militia groups, and white supremacists. Facebook and Twitter now claim to be cracking down on such content; all of this is worth keeping in mind before signing up or giving money to MeWe.

If you are still interested and want an alternative to a Facebook or Twitter account, MeWe is available for Android, iOS, and web browsers.

UPDATE: A MeWe representative contacted Tom's Guide and issued this statement:

"MeWe has a strong Terms of Service that prohibits incitement to violence, hatred, harassment, bullying, and illegal activity... MeWe has a strong policy that prohibits the use of any TOS violators. We have an excellent Trust and Safety team that works hard every day to proactively investigate and remove them." [29