Gab, The Free Speech Social Network

Gab is a social media network launched in 2016 by CEO Andrew Torba. The app is banned on Google and Apple app stores. But it can be assessed through a web app. The app works more like Twitter than facebook.

The sign up short and simple. You are asked for the usual information: name, username, email etc. Users( called gabbers) can pay and upgrade to "Gabpro" to verify their accounts, access additional features and support the network.

AND

After signing up you are presented with interesting groups and gabbers to join and follow respectively. There are welcome volunteers who post(or "gab") some introductory tutorial and tips to help you navigate the network.

Across the top there are the home, explore, notification and message buttons. All work much in the same way as those on twitter.

Under a gab post, there are the "upvote/downvote, comment, repost and quote" buttons. To the top right, click the three-dot button to reveal other context menu including the "Edit" button(take that twitter!). Finally before you publish a new post or gab you are presented with the options of indicating your post is NSFW(not safe for work) and sharing to twitter. And you can also add pictures and GIF files to your post.

SO

Overall, while the user interface sure needs more work(which the CEO announced they are already on it) Gab is pretty neat and less cluttered than facebook. Unlike on twitter, you can easily go back and edit that whopper you impatiently posted.

More importantly, you can post almost anything that doesn't flout the First Ammendment of the United States constitution. US has the most robust free speech rights in the world and Gab deliberately set their community guidelines around such rights. So you don't have to worry about your home government getting your personal information from Gab - Gab PR normally tell foreign governments to pound sand.

So, you have a combination of a better twitter alternative and robust free speech and privacy protections. Go gab away!