The free speech social media platform Parler has relaunched after it was kicked off the internet by Amazon.
Parler, launched in 2018, had become a safe haven for conservatives tired with the censorship of mainstream social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook. Prominent conservative figures such as Donald Trump Jr and Senator Ted Cruz registered accounts on the app last year when Big-Tech platforms started censoring their posts.
However, after the January 6 riot, the app went offline. This is despite the fact that Facebook was the platform that authorities identified as being the platform used for organization of the Capitol riot. Amazon Web Services (AWS), a web-hosting service by tech giant Amazon, removed it from its servers, saying Parler did little about the posts and accounts promoting violence, yet it doesn’t hold other platforms to the same stricter standards.
After more than a month, Parler has officially relaunched.
“Parler was built to offer a social media platform that protects free speech and values privacy and civil discourse. When Parler was taken offline in January by those who desire to silence tens of millions of Americans, our team came together, determined to keep our promise to our highly engaged community that we would return stronger than ever. We’re thrilled to welcome everyone back,” said Mark Meckler, the interim CEO of Parler.
The previous CEO, John Matze was fired a few weeks ago.
“Parler is being run by an experienced team and is here to stay. We will thrive as the premier social media platform dedicated to free speech, privacy and civil dialogue,” Meckler added.
A few days after the riot, both Google and Apple unlisted the app from their respective app stores. Android users might be able to download and install the app from third-party stores. However, iPhone users might not be able to use the app again since iOS only allows installation of apps from the App Store.
This week, current users of the free speech microblogging platform will be back. However, new users will have to wait till next week to join.
Parler will likely face performance issues for a few days while it gets settled on the new host.
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