Parler Social Network Reopens After Monthlong Shutdown

After a month offline, the popular free-speech social network Parler has reopened for business. Existing users can access the site, and new signups can begin next week. The site recently appointed Mark Meckler as interim CEO. Meckler is also a former executive with the right-wing Tea Party Patriots. The tech giants banned Parler in January after reports of inflammatory content and threats. A new CEO, meanwhile, has already proposed changes to the app.

The site was banned by Apple, Google, and Amazon for inciting violence. Users of Parler have also called for the punishment of Vice President Mike Pence, who has no power to overturn election results. Users have also called for the doxxing of media and for the arrest of Mark Zuckerberg, who blocked Trump’s account. Parler has since relaunched on robust technology. However, the site has suffered from personal infighting.

After Parler’s deplatforming, some users have turned to Twitter to complain. Although Parler once had over 20 million users, the conservative community has been pushed away from other social platforms by their dissent. Rightwing provocateur Laura Loomer has received much support on the site. She has 721,000 followers on Parler, and has endorsed Ted Cruz and Jeremy Scahill. But even with Parler’s deplatforming, many users remain skeptical about the platform.

Some critics have accused Parler of not taking adequate steps to prevent violence. Parler’s webpage no longer shows posts attributed to Matze. The company distances itself from these claims, but Peikoff pointed out that Matze had been days away from restoring access to Parler’s mobile application. In addition to that, Parler’s privacy policy is posted in a Microsoft Word document. This could result in legal trouble in the future.

Although Parler has become more violent since the shutdown, it will relaunch next week. Mark Meckler, the app’s new interim CEO, has been appointed to lead the company. He replaces John Matze, who was fired earlier this month. Parler’s website and app went dark in the past month after major service providers blocked it, accusing it of failing to police content and ignoring a deadly Capitol attack by Trump supporters. However, Parler still reserves the right to remove content and ban users based on its policies.

In its defense, Parler has experienced management. Meckler co-founded the Tea Party Patriots, a conservative group that helped elect dozens of Republicans to Congress. Its backers include hedge fund investor Robert Mercer and conservative commentator Dan Bongino. This impressive team is backed by other prominent companies, including Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo. If the social network survives, it will be worth watching.

Parler is being forced to find a new host after Amazon suspended the service, after an investigation determined that the company is a threat to public safety. The company’s former president, John Matze, said that he is working with Apple, Google, and Amazon to find a new host for the service. The suspension may take several days, so Parler may be offline for a week. When it does come back online, it will remain available but may not be able to handle the heavy traffic for a few days.