Last updated: 13 January 2021 7:32:41 pm
Parler, another popular social network for custodians in the U.S., has literally gone offline after being built out of Apple’s App Store and Google Play Store and denied hosting services by Amazon Web Services (AWS) in the wake of the recent U.S. Capitol violence.
But what is Parler, and why have big tech companies taken such strong action against a social network that is relatively unknown outside the United States? We explain below
What is Parler and why is it in the news?
Parler is a micro-blogging social network, similar to Twitter. On Parler, one sees all posts from everyone they follow in chronological order. But unlike Twitter, Parler does not recommend content to users. It also states that it will not collect user data for privacy reasons. You can no longer cross other platforms. So your Parler post is not shared to Facebook or Twitter, although people take screenshots and posts to other platforms. It is believed to have about 10 million users worldwide and 8 million in the US, according to data by Sensor Tower analytics.
Over the past few years, the platform has grown into a hot spot for U.S. conservatives, Donald Trump supporters and those who believe in QAnon’s conspiracy theories. In fact, after being kicked off by Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, Trump had signaled that he would move to a new platform and Parler was seen as the most likely candidate.
Parler positions itself as a neutral platform for free speech favor as enshrined in the American constitution, without any restrictions. For example, in the aftermath of the Capitol Hill violence, many of the posts called for Parler to execute a large number of ‘left spies’. Such material was not removed by Parler. The platform has seen a jump in its user base in recent months, especially in the run-up to the U.S. elections.
Parler launched in 2018 and is co-founded by John Matze, Jr. and Jared Thomson, headquartered in Nevada. But Parler has another powerful backup: investor and co-founder Rebekah Mercer, daughter of billionaire hedge fund investor Robert Mercer. The Mercer family has also made significant contributions to Donald Trump’s past campaigns. Mercer’s connection to Parler was first reported by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ). According to WSJ, Matze told the paper that Mercer’s support for Parler was “dependent on the platform allowing users to control what they see.” ”
Why did Apple and Google remove Parler?
On January 8, two days later mob violence at the U.S. Capitol both Apple and Google removed the Parler app from their app stores. Both companies had asked Parler to put moderation on the platform and highlight content that had highlighted the violence.
Some of Parler’s posts called for the “execution of spies” in reference to U.S. Congressmen. The company refused to do this.
In a statement, Google said, “We recognize that content policies can be reasonably debated and that it can be difficult for apps to remove all infringing content immediately, provided we distribute an app through Google Play, we need these apps to implement strong mode for strong content. ”
“We have always supported diverse views represented on the App Store, but there is no room on our platform for threats of violence and illegal activity. Parler did not take sufficient steps to address these threats to human safety. We have removed Parler from the App Store to resolve these issues, ”Apple said in a statement.
Why did Amazon remove Parler?
Prior to Sunday, Amazon AWS cloud hosting service had also removed Parler, effectively removing it from service. AWS said Parler had violated his terms of service by allowing content, which incited violence.
According to BuzzFeed News, which first reported this, the AWS Trust and Safety Team warned Parler about the growing calls for violence, again in violation of his policies. Read the email, “We have recently seen a steady increase in this violent content on your website, all of which are against our terms. It is clear that Parler does not have an effective process to comply with AWS terms of service. “
📣 Enter NOW 📣: The Telegram Express Channel Explained
In response, Parler has sued Amazon for violating the deal and called the ban political. Parler is now considering a move to Epik, which is a domain registrar known for hosting remote content. Epik also hosts another platform called Gab, which positions itself as another ‘free speech’ platform, but which is minimized by counter content.