- Clubhouse’s CEO said the currently invite-only platform will open to all users as soon as possible.
- Clubhouse operates as a real time, audio-only application which allows users to go into individual “rooms” and have open conversations.
- The site has generated headlines after hosting conversations with public figures like Oprah Winfrey and Elon Musk.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Clubhouse CEO Paul Davison told CNBC on Monday that he plans to open the currently invite-only application – known for hosting celebrities and Silicon Valley leaders – to all users when it launches.
“We’re working to open up to everyone as fast as we can” Davison said in an appearance on CNBC’s “Squawk Box.”
Davison said he wants to make sure they “get the product right” before releasing it to the public, making sure the platform is the best it can be for facilitating constructive conversations and eliminating the pitfalls of other social-media applications.
Clubhouse operates as a real time, audio-only application which allows users to go into individual “rooms” and discuss anything from politics, to social justice to pop culture.
Davison says the app is designed to foster real communication during a time when other social media networks like Twitter and Facebook have become increasingly toxic.
"The focus is on authentic human connection and dialogue, rather than likes or follows, and it's all using your voice," Davison said.
Other social-media networks like Parler have had difficulty monitoring conversations, and platforms like Facebook and Twitter have been forced to increase moderating efforts, even suspending former President Donald Trump from their sites.
Davison plans to moderate conversations in real time, but the app has had trouble with moderation in the past. Users have reported misinformation on vaccination, as well as hate speech. During Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year for Judaism, users reported a chatroom that turned into a string of anti-Semitic hate speech.
Clubhouse has strict guidelines on hate speech and harassment, according to Davison. The site has moderators that are equipped to step in on difficult conversations and allows users to report conversations that violate the site's policies.
"Any social network needs to make moderation a top priority," Davison said. "We have very strict guidelines in place that explicitly tell you what's not okay."
He says the social media network centers on the importance of free speech and dialogue.
"We believe in the power of voice," Davison said. "The fact that anyone can go there without a following, without an audience and create conversations like that, that's what gets us excited."
The company also plans to allow users to make money directly from the site through subscriptions, ticketed events, and tipping.
The social-media application has gained public attention over the past year for hosting public figures like Oprah Winfrey and Jared Leto, as well as many Silicon Valley leaders. Clubhouse has over a $1 billion valuation even though it has yet to post any revenue and was founded less than a year ago.
On Sunday, Tesla CEO Elon Musk conducted an interview with Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev, questioning the CEO regarding his decision to limit the trading of more volatile stocks like GameStop and AMC on the app.