Parler Social Network Overview
Self-described as an ” unbiased ” alternative to the major social media platforms, Parler, founded in 2018, emulates Twitter as a microblogging site. Ownership and stewardship is opaque. John Matze, co-founder and CEO states that ownership is composed of himself and “a small group of close friends and employees.” Known investors are Robert Mercer and Rebekah Mercer. The Mercer family was a principal investor in Cambridge Analytica and the Alt-right media outlet Breitbart.
While Parler makes claims of having a libertarian, free-speech focus, the user profile and content fall under the description of ‘free-extremists’ communities such as the 4Chan /pol/ group where hate speech is unmoderated. Rhetoric and imagery ( violence, misogyny, racism, anti-semitism) that would contravene the policies of Twitter, Facebook and Youtube are unmoderated on Parler and are prevalent. Though not explicitly stated, Parler caters as a platform to the far-right. Parler has been popularised by rightwing figures such as Texas senator Ted Cruz, Fox News hosts Mark Levin and Sean Hannity and Donald Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani. While Donald Trump himself has never joined; Eric Trump, Ivanka Trump and Tiffany Trump are on the platform.
Owing to the crack down on disinformation and hate speech by Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Youtube, many individuals and groups that were ‘deplatformed’ have migrated to Parler. Key events that led to significant increases in Parler’s user base were Twitter’s decision to flag misinformation in Donald Trump’s tweets and the blanket ban of QAnon groups on Facebook. Immediately after the defeat of Donald Trump in the U.S. presidential Election, Parler CEO John Matze stated that Parler gained two million users in one day.
Following the riots in Washington D.C. on January sixth 2021, Parler was served notice by the major technology companies Apple, Google and Amazon that they must enact more stringent moderation policies or they would no longer host downloads of the Parler app. Specifically, these moderation policies were in relation to hate speech and incitement to violence. Declining to do so, as of January 10th, Parler has been banned by all three companies .Amazon no longer hosts web services to Parler. Immediately before the ban, Parler had been the top downloaded app on the Apple App store.
References/Notes
1) “- The Washington Post.” n.d. Washington Post. Accessed January 10, 2021. https://www.washingtonpost.com/gdpr-consent/.
2) “‘Free Speech Social Media’? Three Questions about Parler.,” December 1, 2020. https://www.csmonitor.com/Technology/2020/1201/Free-speech-social-media-Three-questions-about-Parler.
3) “‘Free Speech’ Social Media Platform Parler Is a Hit among Trump Supporters, but Experts Say It Won’t Last – ABC News.” n.d. Accessed January 9, 2021. https://abcnews.go.com/US/free-speech-social-media-platform-parler-hit-trump/story?id=74245251.
4) “Facebook Bans QAnon across Its Platforms.” n.d. NBC News. Accessed January 10, 2021. https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/facebook-bans-qanon-across-its-platforms-n1242339.
5) “Fact-Checked on Facebook and Twitter, Conservatives Switch Their Apps.” The New York Times, November 11, 2020, sec. Technology. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/11/technology/parler-rumble-newsmax.html.
6) “How Some Conservatives Have Switched to Parler, Rumble and Newsmax – The New York Times.” n.d. Accessed January 9, 2021. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/11/technology/parler-rumble-newsmax.html.
7) “Parler: Are Conservatives Pivoting to a New Social Media App?” 2019. The Daily Dot. June 5, 2019. https://www.dailydot.com/debug/what-is-parler-free-speech-social-media-app/.
8) “Snapshot.” n.d. Accessed January 9, 2021. https://www.chicagotribune.com/opinion/commentary/ct-opinion-parler-conservative-social-media-20201204-abhs3nev7nhrrois5n5ghh42hm-story.html.
9) “What to Know about Parler, the Social-Media Platform That Is Now Attracting Millions of Trump Supporters – MarketWatch.” n.d. Accessed January 9, 2021. https://www.marketwatch.com/story/what-to-know-about-parler-the-social-media-platform-that-is-attracting-millions-of-trump-supporters-11606497149.
10) 2020b. “I Tried Parler, the Social Media App Where Hate Speech Thrives.” SFGATE. November 30, 2020. https://www.sfgate.com/tech/article/I-tried-Parler-the-social-media-app-where-hate-15758094.php.
11) Anderson, Katie Elson. 2020. “Getting Acquainted with Social Networks and Apps: It Is Time to Talk about TikTok.” Library Hi Tech News 37 (4): 7–12. https://doi.org/10.1108/LHTN-01-2020-0001.
12) Astor, Maggie. 2020. “Biden and Trump Are Locked in Tight Race as Uncounted Votes Remain.” The New York Times, November 3, 2020, sec. U.S. https://www.nytimes.com/live/2020/11/03/us/trump-biden-election.
13) BBC News. 2020. “Parler ‘free Speech’ App Tops Charts in Wake of Trump Defeat,” November 9, 2020, sec. Technology. https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-54873800.
14) Business, Sherisse Pham, CNN. n.d. “Twitter Says It Labels Tweets to Provide ‘Context, Not Fact-Checking.’” CNN. Accessed January 10, 2021. https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/03/tech/twitter-enforcement-policy/index.html.
15) Christian Science Monitor. 2020a. “‘Free Speech Social Media’? Three Questions about Parler.,” December 1, 2020. https://www.csmonitor.com/Technology/2020/1201/Free-speech-social-media-Three-questions-about-Parler.
16) Conger, Kate, Mike Isaac, and Daisuke Wakabayashi. 2020. “Social Media Companies Survived Election Day. More Tests Loom.” The New York Times, November 4, 2020, sec. Technology. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/04/technology/social-media-companies-election-misinformation.html.
17) Conger, Kate, Mike Isaac, and Sheera Frenkel. 2021. “Twitter and Facebook Lock Trump’s Accounts After Violence on Capitol Hill.” The New York Times, January 6, 2021, sec. Technology. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/06/technology/capitol-twitter-facebook-trump.html.
18) Hartley, Kris, and Minh Khuong Vu. 2020. “Fighting Fake News in the COVID-19 Era: Policy Insights from an Equilibrium Model.” Policy Sciences 53 (4): 735–58. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11077-020-09405-z.
19) https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/11/technology/parler-rumble-newsmax.html.
20) Isaac, Mike, and Kellen Browning. 2020a. “Fact-Checked on Facebook and Twitter, Conservatives Switch Their Apps.” The New York Times, November 11, 2020, sec. Technology.
21) Levy, Ari. 2020. “Trump Fans Are Flocking to the Social Media App Parler — Its CEO Is Begging Liberals to Join Them.” CNBC. June 27, 2020. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/27/parler-ceo-wants-liberal-to-join-the-pro-trump-crowd-on-the-app.html.
22) n.d. “What to Know about Parler, the Social-Media Platform That Is Now Attracting Millions of Trump Supporters.” MarketWatch. Accessed January 10, 2021b. https://www.marketwatch.com/story/what-to-know-about-parler-the-social-media-platform-that-is-attracting-millions-of-trump-supporters-11606497149.
23) Newhouse, Alex. n.d. “Commentary: Parler: Who Is behind This Growing Conservative Social Media Platform?” Chicagotribune.Com. Accessed January 9, 2021a. https://www.chicagotribune.com/opinion/commentary/ct-opinion-parler-conservative-social-media-20201204-abhs3nev7nhrrois5n5ghh42hm-story.html.
24) News, A. B. C. n.d. “‘Free Speech’ Social Media Platform Parler Is a Hit among Trump Supporters, but Experts Say It Won’t Last.” ABC News. Accessed January 9, 2021. https://abcnews.go.com/US/free-speech-social-media-platform-parler-hit-trump/story?id=74245251.
25) Parker, Bryan C. 2020a. “I Tried Parler, the Social Media App Where Hate Speech Thrives.” SFGATE. November 30, 2020. https://www.sfgate.com/tech/article/I-tried-Parler-the-social-media-app-where-hate-15758094.php.
26) Paul, Elizabeth Culliford, Katie. 2019. “Unhappy with Twitter, Thousands of Saudis Join pro-Trump Social Network Parler.” Reuters, June 14, 2019. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-twitter-saudi-politics-idUSKCN1TE32S.
27) Rodriguez, Salvador. 2020. “The Four Latest Contenders to Facebook’s Social Media Throne.” CNBC. November 14, 2020. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/11/14/parler-tiktok-onlyfans-contend-for-facebooks-social-throne.html.