locals
{{Short description|Crowdfunding site cofounded by Dave Rubin and Assaf Lev}}
{{Other uses|Local (disambiguation)}}{{Infobox website
| name = Locals
| logo = Locals.com logo.svg
| founded = 2019
| owner = Rumble
| url = https://locals.com
}}
Locals Technology Inc., also referred to as locals.com, is a US creator crowdfunding site cofounded by conservative commentator Dave Rubin and Assaf Lev. It started in 2019 and is based in Miami.
The site was founded after Rubin and Jordan Peterson left Patreon in response to its banning of Carl Benjamin for paraphrasing hate speech. The startup raised just over $1 million from 10 506(b) private placement investors in March 2020.{{Cite web |title=The AlleyWatch Startup Daily Funding Report: 4/17/2020 - AlleyWatch |author= |work=AlleyWatch |date= |access-date=11 July 2020 |url= https://www.alleywatch.com/2020/04/the-alleywatch-startup-daily-funding-report-4-17-2020/}}{{Cite web |title=SEC FORM D/A |author= |work=sec.gov |date=20 April 2020 |access-date=11 July 2020 |url= https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1809815/000180981520000002/xslFormDX01/primary_doc.xml}} Locals announced further funding of $3.8 million on April 20, 2021 led by Craft Ventures.{{cite web |title=Locals.Com Raises Seed Round Empowering Independent Creators Via Its Subscription-Based Community Platform |url=https://blog.locals.com/locals-com-raises-to-empower-content-creators-to-be-independent-with-its-subscription-based-community-platform/ |website=locals.com |access-date=1 July 2021}}{{Cite web |title=SEC FORM D |author= |work=sec.gov |date=29 March 2020 |access-date=1 July 2021 |url= https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001809815/000180981521000001/xslFormDX01/primary_doc.xml}}
The site deviates from the advertising and views model adopted by traditional social media, in favor of a paywall approach.{{Cite web|date=2021-05-06|title=Dave Rubin's Locals|url=https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/dave-rubin-locals-armin-rosen|access-date=2021-07-07|website=Tablet Magazine|language=en}}
Assaf Lev is the President and CEO; Lev was previously an executive at QualiSystems. Andrew Conru is also a director.{{Cite web |title=QualiSystems Expands Base of Financial, Government and Telecom Customers |author=QualiSystems |work=prnewswire.com |date=24 September 2013 |access-date=11 July 2020 |url= https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/qualisystems-expands-base-of-financial-government-and-telecom-customers-225012902.html}}
Locals was acquired by Rumble in October 2021.{{cite web |title=Rumble acquires Locals to help build a bigger creator economy |url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/rumble-acquires-locals-help-build-140000966.html |website=Yahoo News |access-date=26 October 2021}}
Notable creators
- Scott Adams
- Robert Barnes{{Cite web |title=Viva Barnes Law |author= |work=vivabarneslaw |date= |access-date=1 July 2021 |url=https://vivabarneslaw.locals.com/ }}{{bsn|date=July 2021}}
- Jedediah Bila
- Dan Bongino
- Russell Brand
- Tammy Bruce
- Patrick Byrne (previously of Overstock.com){{Cite news |title=Inside the 'shadow reality world' promoting the lie that the presidential election was stolen |author=Rosalind S. Helderman |author2=Emma Brown |author3=Tom Hamburger |author4=Josh Dawsey |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=24 June 2021 |access-date=25 June 2021 |url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/06/24/inside-shadow-reality-world-promoting-lie-that-presidential-election-was-stolen/}}
- Steven Crowder{{Cite news |date=8 March 2023 |title=Steven Crowder Joins Rumble Exclusives |pages=1 |work=ABC27 |url=https://www.abc27.com/business/press-releases/globenewswire/8784248/steven-crowder-joins-rumble-exclusives/ |access-date=17 March 2023}}
- Zubin Damania (ZDoggMD){{Cite web |title=ZDoggMD |author= |date= |access-date=5 March 2021 |url=https://zdoggmd.locals.com/ }}{{bsn|date=July 2021}}
- Alan Dershowitz
- Mark Dice
- David Freiheit{{cn|date=July 2021}}
- Tulsi Gabbard{{cite web |title=Free-speech site, touted as Facebook alternative, moving to Miami |website=Miami Herald |url=https://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/article253223588.html}}{{Cite web |title=Tulsi Gabbard |author= |date= |access-date=11 January 2021 |url= https://tulsi.locals.com/}}
- Glenn Greenwald
- Andrew Gruel
- Greg Gutfeld{{Cite web |title=Greg Gutfeld |author= |date= |access-date=5 March 2021 |url=https://gg.locals.com/ }}{{bsn|date=July 2021}}
- Jackson Hinkle
- [https://steveinmancommentary.locals.com/newsfeed Steve Inman]
- Charlie Kirk
- Konstantin Kisin
- Peter Lavelle{{Cite web |title=TheGaggle |author= Peter Lavelle & George Szamuely |date= |access-date=2 April 2025 |url=https://thegaggle.locals.com/}}
- Max Lugavere
- Bryan Lunduke
- Michael Malice{{Cite web |title=Michael Malice |author= |date= |access-date=11 July 2020 |url= https://malice.locals.com/}}{{cite tweet|title=i had asked them to refer to my section as a sleeper cell and not as a community but they refused |url=https://malice.locals.com|number=1225110302758490112|user=michaelmalice|date=5 February 2020}}
- Andy Ngo{{cite news |last1=Serota |first1=Maggie |title=How is Dave Rubin's new free speech oasis doing? Not great |url=https://www.dailydot.com/debug/dave-rubin-locals/ |work=The Daily Dot |date=7 October 2020}}
- Candace Owens{{Cite web |last=Owens |first=Candace |date=March 22, 2024 |title=@RealCandaceO (22 March 2024). "The rumors are true— I am finally free" |url=https://x.com/RealCandaceO/status/1771175990451958250?lang=en |access-date=July 2, 2024 |website=X}}
- Yeonmi Park
- Breaking Pointshttps://twitter.com/jacksonhinklle/status/1543001002776768512 {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2024}}
- Dave Rubin
- Kat Timpf
- Paul Joseph Watson{{Cite web |title=Why I'm joining Locals |author= |work=pauljosephwatson |date= |access-date=1 July 2021 |url=https://pauljosephwatson.locals.com/post/813343/why-im-joining-locals }}{{bsn|date=July 2021}}
- Liz Wheeler
- Michael Yon
- Zuby{{Cite web |title=Zuby |author= |date= |access-date=5 March 2021 |url=https://teamzuby.locals.com/ }}{{bsn|date=July 2021}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}