The internet in the United States is splitting along party lines

New investments flooding partisan media platforms are starting to restructure the US internet business around the nation's deepening political divide. For years internet theorists have warned of the "splinternet," a breakup of the global internet into regions governed by different rules and laws. Something like that is now starting to happen within the US, splitting the online world into red and blue sectors. Different US political bents have reacted to the current information environment in radically different ways. Progressives are focused on making sure that the existing media and online platforms crack down on misinformation. Conservatives increasingly feel disenfranchised by media from mainstream news outlets to social platforms and have begun to invest in alternatives. Media companies and online platforms in the past have thrived by serving as big an audience as possible without regard to political bent. Yet as the business model for internet media shifts towards direct relationships with paying customers, companies are placing less value on scale for its own sake and more on products that engage true believers. As this trend continues, companies that have long positioned themselves as apolitical will face overwhelming pressure to choose sides.