Both Apple and Google have removed the alt-right social media app from their mobile operating systems’ stores. In addition, Amazon has taken the platform’s website offline.
In doing so, the three companies respond to a storming of the Capitol in Washington last week, which was allegedly triggered by right-wing extremist views and fake news, shared on websites such as Parler.
Incitement to violence
AWS has sent a letter to Parler saying that it has seen 98 messages on the medium that ‘clearly incite and encourage violence’. Amazon says in the letter, seen by CNN, that it supports services across the political spectrum, but that it draws the line at incitement to violence.
In search for new hosting
Amazon was Parler’s hosting provider. Now that that company no longer wants to offer its services to Parler, the social medium will have to look for a new hosting provider. Shortly before, Apple and Google decided to remove the Parler app from the App Store and the Play Store respectively. However, this did not remove the app from existing users. Now that AWS has taken the website offline, already installed apps no longer work either.
Trump blocked on various media
Google, Apple and Amazon are not the first companies to take firm action after the storming of the Capitol. Both Twitter and Facebook have suspended Donald Trump’s accounts on their platforms because the US President allegedly incited violence. Other social media, such as Reddit, TikTok and Snapchat, are also removing Trump-related content from their websites. Shopify has taken down Trump’s merchandise shop.
Parler
Parler is a social network founded in 2018. It markets itself as an alternative to Twitter and Facebook, where free speech is paramount. In practice, this has mainly led to the proliferation of right-wing extremist ideas.
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