Alternative social media site Parler is totally offline after Amazon suspended the platform from its web hosting service. Apple and Google (Alphabet) also pulled the network from their app stores, further hindering its operation.
In response, Parler’s executives are searching for a new home on the internet while suing Amazon for “unlawful business interference” and being “motivated by political animus”.
The start-up, popular with conservatives and right-wing influencers, has been gaining fans in the wake of Donald Trump’s election defeat, particularly because it promises minimal moderation and lax policing.
But Parler is facing increased scrutiny following the attack on the US Capitol. Although Trump used Twitter to stoke the flames (and was later shut down), the tech bosses say Parler is guilty of failing to restrict violence-inciting content, including posts that encouraged “patriots” to join the riots.
Parler and its supporters have hit back, accusing Jack Dorsey, Mark Zuckerberg & co. of violating the First Amendment (right to free speech). However, the likes of Twitter and Facebook are private enterprises, not government institutions, which means they’re allowed to set specific rules and guidelines. That is Silicon Valley’s legal argument – Parler’s “dangerous content” went against their firms’ terms and conditions.
As lawyers from both sides battle it out, what’s becoming clearer is how much digital real estate is owned by a handful of tech firms, aka Big Tech. Is it unhealthy that online media in the US - and even globally - is essentially managed by a few major players?
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