Parler now offline has Amazon withdraws support for the social network
The social network common among white Republicans, and members of the far right has been offline after Amazon pulled support for the so-called “free speech” social network.
The platform had been reliant on the tech giant’s Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud computing service to provide its alternative to Twitter.
Parler said to be in violation of the AWS cloud hosting rules
Amazon took the action after finding dozens of posts on the service which it said encouraged violence.
Parler had already been removed from Google and Apple play stores earlier in the week, citing that the app failed to comply with their content-moderation requirements.
However, it is still accessible via the Web although visitors have complained about being unable to create new accounts over the weekend.
AWS’s move is the latest in a series of actions affecting social media as a result of the rioting that occurred on Capitol Hill last week. Facebook and Twitter have also banned President Trump’s accounts on their platforms, citing concerns that he might incite further violence.
Parler may return
The social network site has been in existence since 2018, and may return if it can find an alternative host.
However, chief executive of Parler John Matze told Fox News on Sunday that “every vendor from text message services to email providers to our lawyers all ditched us too.”
“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,” he added.
Parler’s users included the Republican Senator Ted Cruz, who led an effort in the Senate to delay certifying Joe Biden’s electoral college victory.
“Why should a handful of Silicon Valley billionaires have a monopoly on political speech?” he tweeted over the weekend.