Inside Social Media with John Matze

The Yossi Schmidt Show

Jul 14, 2025•28 min•Season 7Ep. 9

--:--

Listen in podcast apps:

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Download

Listen to this episode in Metacast mobile app

Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more

Episode description

In this episode of The Yossi Schmidt Show, host Yossi Schmidt interviews John Matze, one of the original founders of Parler. Matze talks about his journey with Parler, its impact on free speech and social media, and how it led to the creation of his current platform, Hedgehog Social Media. The discussion covers the influence Parler had on the landscape of free speech, the rise of alternative social media platforms, and the ongoing battle against tech monopolies like Apple. Matze also shares his views on free speech absolutism, censorship, and the future vision for Hedgehog as a community-centric platform. Yossi and John engage in a deep conversation about the responsibilities that come with advocating for free speech and the importance of open dialogue in society.

00:00 Introduction and Welcome

00:11 Meet John Matze: Founder of Parler and Hedgehog

00:48 The Rise and Impact of Parler

03:27 Challenges and Controversies

07:51 The Vision for Hedgehog

12:12 Debating Free Speech and Social Media

21:41 Personal Reflections on Free Speech

28:08 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Check out Hedgehog here: https://www.hedgehog.com

The X Review: https://pickax.com/yossishow/TDFP-X-Review-4617

__________________________________________

Reviews: ⁠https://www.thedigitalfreepress.com/blog/categories/reviews⁠