Business
Big Tech Firms Cut Ties With Parler
Last weekend, Big tech firms began to cut ties with Parler, the social media company favored by President Donald Trump’s supporters. First, Google removed the app from the Google Play Store, followed by Apple from its App Store. Then, Amazon dropped Parler from its roster of Amazon Web Services clients. Without a storefront for its app downloads, and now with servers, Parler is in danger of shutting down.
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Google, Apple Removes Parler
Last week, both Google and Apple removed the app from their stores, which effectively prevents Parler from getting any new members. Apple owns and operates the exclusive operating system for all iPhone, iPad, and Mac products. The App store remains the only official gateway to getting Parler to work. This means that apps such as Parler need to stay visible in the App store to gain new subscribers. Meanwhile, the Google Play Store is the App store equivalent to all Android phones, which holds around 74% of the total mobile market. Together, Apple and Android users collectively own more than 99% of the mobile OS market.
Apple and Google removed the app from their stores as a response to Parler’s alleged unwillingness to police hate speech and threats of violence among its members. Apple gave Parler 24 hours notice last Friday Apple to moderate its contents or else face a delisting. The company appeared to take down some posts, but Apple cut Parler off anyway. In a statement, Apple said “We have always supported diverse points of view being represented on the App Store, but there is no place on our platform for threats of violence and illegal activity,” Apple said in a statement. Earlier, Google cut off the platform from its Play Store, but users can still download and install the site from the Parler site directly. However, Parler will need to resolve its web server requirements first after being cut off by Amazon.
Double Standards
Parler CEO John Matze said Sunday that virtually all of its business partners dropped Parler that day. On Fox News, he said, “Every vendor from text message services to email providers to our lawyers all ditched us too on the same day.” The bans will keep Parler offline for a while. Eventually, the collective effect of app store bans and no server can put the company out of business. He said he doesn’t understand why Parler became a target. In an earlier interview, Matze said he didn’t “feel responsible for [the riots] and neither should the platform, considering we’re a neutral town square that just adheres to the law.”
Matze said that the issues hounding Parler are “an assault on everybody.” He said “They all work together to make sure at the same time we would lose access to not only our apps, but they’re actually shutting all of our servers off tonight, off the internet. They made an attempt to not only kill the app but to actually destroy the entire company.” In addition, he said it’s not just Apple, Google, and Amazon. “Every vendor from text message services to email providers to our lawyers all ditched us too on the same day,” he said. “Amazon, Google, and Apple purposefully did this as a coordinated effort knowing our options would be limited and knowing this would inflict the most damage right as President Trump was banned from the tech companies,” Matze added.
Responsible for the Riots
Matze said Parler is getting unfair treatment. He said that big tech is “trying to falsely claim that we’re somehow responsible for the events that occurred on the 6th,” he said, referring to the date of the Capitol building riots. “It would put anybody out of business,” he said of the tech bans. “This thing could destroy anybody. We’re going to try our best to get back online as quickly as possible. But we’re having a lot of trouble because every vendor we talk to says they won’t work with us. Because if Apple doesn’t approve and Google doesn’t approve, they won’t.”
Meanwhile, Parler executives agreed that the tech companies’ decisions may be politically motivated or anticompetitive. Jeffrey Wernick, COO of Parler, blamed the existing cancel culture at major tech companies. He advises other platforms not to try to compete with the big tech. “If you raise money and get investors and end up like Parler, what’s the point?” he said. Matze said Parler is down but not out. “This was a coordinated attack by the tech giants to kill competition in the market place. We were too successful too fast. You can expect the war on competition and free speech to continue, but don’t count us out.”
In addition, Matze noted that “Big tech really wants to kill competition.” For example, he said the phrase “Hang Mike Pence” trended on Twitter. “I have seen no evidence Apple is going after them,” Matze said. “This would appear to be an unfair double standard as every other social media site has the same issues, arguably on a worse scale.”
Why Cut Ties With Parler?
Big Tech companies cut ties with Parler over concerns of growing threats of violence among its posters. They demand more accountability from the company to moderate its members’ contents to prevent further tensions. However, the company’s main selling point is exactly that: minimal moderation and unfiltered speech. This is what made them a popular social media alternative in the first place.
Watch the FoxNews report where Parler Chief Policy Officer Amy Peikoff discusses a potential ban for Parler:
Loading ...Do you agree with Parler that this is a free speech issue? And, do you also agree that Parler represented competition with Big Tech? Or, do you believe that Parler should apply caution at this point? Let us know what you think by commenting below.
27 Comments
Shut down all social media I said this year ago went it started it will ruin the world and to my point it has done that everyone knows where you are every second THAT IS NO GOOD STOP THIS MADNESS LET’S GO BACK TO MAIL SOCIAL AND EMAILS ONLY TGAT WILL FIX THE PROBLEM
I’m tired of Freedom of Speech being blamed for everything. That’s why it was made a Constitution. I don’t agree with violence including breaking through and desecration of the Historical statues, our history being destroyed or the White House. People do have rights!
We’re on our way to being a socialist country, Republicans are losing their freedom of speech, the main stream media tells their version of the truth, and refuses to print anything that might hurt the Democrat party. Or help the Republican Party, The dominion voting machine is exactly what they use in socialist, Marxist, & communist countries to alter the vote. It was used in Venezuela when they became socialist.They even slow down the covid vaccine because they did not want Trump to get credit for it. Distribution of the vaccine is currently being suppressed until after Biden is an office. How many people die every two weeks of Covid? They really don’t care about people, it’s all politics and money and power.
Big tech is trying to control the opinions of the people – control our voice and usurp the rules of law that were designed to direct the government by the peoples will. The MSM has NOT been doing their job of fair and unbiased journalistic reporting. They do not report facts but only rumor and twisted information based on a corrupt agenda paid for by outliers to brainwash and stir up hate and division. This needs to end. I don’t care who you voted for – but you should be concerned that the vote was tampered with. I blame BIG TECH for their part in this coup. I am saddened that there has not been more action taken by our police forces to control the attacks on our historic monuments and am ashamed by government officials defunding our protectors. Stop the brainwashing. Stop BIG TECH.. Clean house with the MSM and give us back our freedom to hear the truth – speak the truth – and know the facts – It that means shutting down the internet – I hope they do it.
If they shut down one they all should be shut down! It’s pure censorship! Big tech has shown how powerful they really are and what philosophy they promote. Disgusting and outraged!
Unconstitutional to stop freedom of speech.
What “they” have done is taken another part of our freedom away. Taken away our freedom to unite.
Big tech? Hmmmmm not sure that’s what I’d call them how about big global tyrants!!!!!! FB lies they won’t let you post the way you feel if it disagrees with their agendas. They have no right to dump Parler as it is our first constitutional right!! I have dumped Twitter and FB is next. Seems like these big tech bullies have been throwing their twisted power around with Parler’s lawyers even dumping them. Big bullies leave our first amendment rights alone.
Big Tech are going to RUN the country. When Google/ Twitter/Facebook has a ability to censor what they don’t want us to know, to keep us ignorant, This is exactly what Hitler did. The American People better wake up. The main stream media report their political views. They Do not report the FACTS.. What’s worse ? The Democratic leaders and Weak republicans are allowing it.
We do have a small number of large companies trying to monopolize social media and they are ‘left’ leaning.
In one sense they are trying to clean up hate speech, but their judgements seem outlandish at times and you have little or no recourse with their decisions. Now they are ‘winning’ by cutting their competition. Killing off Parler in one sense is a lose for freedom since they were not heavy handed.
There are arguments about Free Speech and they claim they are not public resources to keep government from looking too closely at them. But in the end, it’s moving to a one or two sources for social media and because of that, there is a lose of ‘freedom’ using them with their rules.
We need some resources like Parler that is not heavily monitored and censored.
DON’T TAKE AWAY OUR FREE SPEECH IN WHATEVER FORM IT COMES IN. FREEDOM OF SPEECH HAS ALWAYS BEEN AMERICAN. LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENS THAT DON’T HAVE IT. PEOPLE ARE EXECUTED FOR SPEAKING OUT. WE DON’T NEED THAT IN AMERICA. I SAY AGAIN “FREEDOM OF SPEECH”
While I’m all for free speech, there is a line you cross – Parler was warned to clean up or better monitor speech that invited mayhem. It’s no secret that platform was used to plan insurrection I’m an independent so I take no sides but I refuse to be a part of treasonous acts. I respect our democracy & I can get a little loud myself but I respect their decisions. I’ve been in FB jail myself (which I still don’t agree I crossed the line) but I can see where my statement could’ve been misconstrued. If people can’t respect the rules of these platforms, simply don’t use them, go back to email, messenger apps or host your own hate group platform. There are plenty of them out there (I’ve been on them but I will not share) I cannot understand the need for violence just because it doesn’t agree with your personal view (again free speech) & that is what the problem is. If they didn’t spew hanging Pence, killing Pilosi, breaking & entering into a government building WHILE one of our most sacred democracy sessions are being held, none of this would be happening
Freedom of speech is a right given to AMERICANS in the Constitution! Our Country is built on people’s rights to free speech because we are a free country, not socialist and not communist! This is what happens when our FREEDOM is taken away! DEMOCRATS have no right to take away our Freedom!
I believe the First Amendment applies to all people and all media period!
Parler stands for free speech. Big Tech works for the Left!
I say damn there rules they make them up as they go there are horrible pictures of naked people on there sites for children to see what do they do nothing. The loony left threatens my life every single day there still there every day doing the same thing as I try to talk some sense into these people never saying anything disrespectful are bad to them but pointing out obvious things which they can’t deal with and all of sudden I need to be killed but of course there never removed because there on the left. I have had two great normal conversations with two members of the left wing that we finally agreed to disagree but it was a three day discussion with both of course joined in by other’s wising me death but these gentleman stood up for me as I did for them when a person from the far right joined in this is how political discussions should take place but those days are almost gone. And social media is why Parler will be back up and running and Twitter will continue to fall
Its sad that we are looking more and more like nazi germany when they gain control of the media,cause mayhem, and blame it on the good people like you, and i, this is the last attempt to hold control of our country, we are here right now, the place we feared might happen, and didn’t want to think about it,they will cut us down in the name of health, safety, and whats good for the world, somehow we must band together, dont let hate control us, we need to pray often telling God our fears, praying for our good leaders to have the guidence of the holy ghost, God bless the united states of America🇺🇸🙏🇺🇸🙏
This is what happens when Big Tech gets too big. It is an antitrust issue!
Break up the monopolies of Google, Facebook, Twitter. They are run by looney lefties. They do everything to suppress conservatism and enhance liberalism including communist ideologies!
Shut down all the corporate mediaS cause all they do is spread fake news! They are worse than a PANDEMIC!
The other sites know that they will die if parlour continues!!! It is an open site where people can use their first amendment rights no matter if you are right or left!! Big tech and media are all traitors and should be in jail!!!!!!
God forbid anyone being allowed to actually use their first amendment right.
The Clash once sang “You have the right to free speech. As long as you’re not dumb enough to actually try it!”
Guess they saw this coming 40 years ago
Shit NO I don’t agree with Parler, I do believe in free speech but you step over the line on hatred and threatening to hang someone and kill people. I am appalled at what happened on Wednesday and thinking of all the federal laws broken that they tossed aside. They’ll have plenty of time to think of the steps they took while they are rotting in prison spreading covid.
I think those of us that still want us to continue to have our “freedom of speech” need to fight to keep that right by boycotting all of the medias that do not permit “everyone” to express their opinion regardless of if it’s what their private opinion is or not. I thought we were free in the USA to express our personal opinions but in the last few years all forms of media seem to only let certain people express their views and others are banned from doing the same. I believe this is unconstitutional.
Linda,
Then you need to blame the leftie Antifa, BLM and Democrats for infiltrating and inciting the violence. Unfortunately, it’s easy to get some riled up to do stupid things. But Alynski and Ayers know that and taught that to community organizers like Obama and Hillary.
There is growing proof of the infiltration by Antifa and BLM.
I believe in freedom of speech. Our nation is going to fight for this.l though we were free in our U. S. A. To express our opinions. What and who will stand for this. We will. So unconstitutional. God Bless Our Government. We will STAND for OUR RIGHTS.
I wonder if everyone took to messaging by telephone, which is controlled by your carrier company, and everyone enmass dropped Google, Apple, and any other platform they offer, could that put Big Tech out of business? Who owns towers, ATT, Verizon, T-Mobile, not Google,Apple, other big tech.
They were afraid of Parlor because they would of loss 70 million people, than all there advertising would of left. You know I said a few years ago google, Facebook, Twitter and others will hurt this country and our kids. The kids can’t go no place without that phone and than when they go over to people houses what do they do,they start texting. They are good for telephone communication in emergency and band using in car.