Controversial Social Network Parler Is Back From Its Abrupt Shutdown

By Mary Anne R. First Posted: Jan 25, 2021 04:04 AM EST

The alt-right social media platform, Parler, is back in business after its abrupt shut down following the events that saw the deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol.

However, the social media platform, mostly favored by Donald Trump supporters, is now supported by American companies.

The application is now running all of its information through Russian servers, according to a We Are Mitu report.

Parler was disciplined by Big Tech after the Capitol riot on Jan. 6. The social media was one of the key tools when organizing the riot.

Amazon, Apple, and Google all stopped carrying Parler, which ended the social media platform's ability to keep it running.

Parler tried to file a lawsuit against Amazon Web Services to pick up the app again and allow it to continue.

However, the judge ruled against the social media platform.

Parler CEO John Matze posted a statement to the company's website over the weekend, saying that they will resolve any challenge before them and welcome all of its users soon.

"We will not let civil discourse perish!" Matze was quoted on a CNET report.

US District Judge Barbara Rothstein in Seattle said that she was not dismissing Parler's substantiative underlying claims. However, Amazon will not have to provide the web hosting services.

Amazon, meanwhile, denied claims that they pulled out their services for the alt-right social media platform due to political animus, according to an Independent report.

Amazon claimed that Parler had breached its business agreement by allowing contet advocating violence, as well as failing to timely take that content down.

Meanwhile, Parler's website was reachable again but had to rely on the Russian-owned tech form DDoS-Guard for its new internet protocol address.

Reuters says the firm has worked with other racist, rightist, and conspiracy site that have been used by mass murderers to share messages.

Parler Connections with The Capitol Riot

Parler has earned its popularity with right-wing users with allegations that Facebook, Twitter, as well as other social networks harbor anti-conservative views.

Parler was downloaded 997,000 times across Apple's App Store and Google Play. This was more than 10 times the downloads the app generated from Jan. 1 to 5, according to an app analytics company Sensor Tower.

High profile conservatives urged others to join Parler in November when President Joe Biden won the presidential elections.

Matze said that the whole company was never intended to be a pro-Trump platform. He added that a lot of the audience is pro-Trump.

"I don't care. I'm not judging them either way," Matze was quoted on a report.

However, the network was claimed to voice a lot of conservative forces such as Former U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, Trump's campaign, Loomer, and Republican U.S. Rep. Devin Nunes.

Once you join the app, Parler recommends several conservative users to follow. However, there aren't any liberal ones in the platform, which could be because they have not joined the app or do not have a large following.

Parler's Difference From Other Social Media Platform

Parler has fewer rules than Twitter and Facebook on issues that it allows on the network. Users can report a post for violating Parler's policies, however, the company does not have third-party fact-checkers and does not label misinformation.

Parler's rules prohibit pornography. Meanwhile, Twitter lets users share consensually produced adult content if they mark the media as sensitive.

Facebook does not allow its users to post images of sexual activity.

Parler also has rules against span, which include repetitive comments and posts, which are irrelevant to the conversation.