Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla Inc, said in a tweet on Saturday that he is “seriously considering” developing a new social networking platform. Musk was replying to a Twitter user’s question on if he would consider creating a social media platform based on an open-source algorithm that prioritised free speech and had less propaganda.

Musk, who is a frequent Twitter user, has recently been critical of the social media platform and its policies. He claims that the firm is hurting democracy by not adhering to the values of free speech. His message comes a day after he conducted a Twitter poll in which over 70% of respondents said they did not believe Twitter adhered to the principle of free expression.

If Musk decides to create a new platform, he will be joining a growing list of tech companies that are positioning themselves as champions of free speech in the hopes of attracting users who feel their voices are being silenced on platforms like Twitter, Meta Platform’s Facebook, and Alphabet’s YouTube.

The consequences of this poll will be important. Please vote carefully.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 25, 2022

So yet, none of the startups, including Donald Trump’s Truth Social, Twitter rivals Gettr and Parler, and video site Rumble, have come close to matching the mainstream platforms’ reach and appeal.