Explainer: What is Parler and why has it been pulled offline?

(Reuters) – In advance of Apple Inc banned Parler from its App Shop store on Saturday, the social media web page topped the charts as the most preferred free of charge application on its App Retail outlet in the United States.

Curiosity in the fast-escalating app had surged all over again immediately after Twitter banned President Donald Trump on Friday.

Right after Amazon.com Inc stopped hosting its small business, successfully taking the upstart social media services offline, Parler is now combating for survival.

What is Parler?

Parler, which was founded in 2018, is a social media community which models itself as a “free speech-driven” space. The application has mainly captivated U.S. conservatives who disagree with procedures all over material on social media sites like Fb Inc and Twitter Inc.

Parler has had about 10.8 million installs globally from across the Application Keep and Google Enjoy, 8.7 million of individuals from the United States, in accordance to Sensor Tower data. In January, it stated it has over 12 million registered consumers.

Trump, who was final 7 days completely suspended from Twitter as social media platforms cracked down on his accounts, does not have a verified Parler account, but his ‘Team Trump’ marketing campaign does. Trump allies such as attorney Rudy Guiliani and the president’s son Eric Trump also joined the platform, as did conservative media this sort of as Epoch Periods and Breitbart Information and outstanding Republicans together with Senator Ted Cruz.

In November, conservative activist Rebekah Mercer confirmed that she and her family, including her father and hedge-fund trader Robert Mercer, have presented funding to the business. Conservative commentator Dan Bongino also said in June he was taking an possession stake in the enterprise, which is dependent around Las Vegas in Nevada.

Why has Parler been taken offline?

The web-site properly “went dark” just after Amazon.com Inc suspended its web web hosting service and will stay so until it can obtain a substitute.

Suspensions by Apple Inc’s App Store and Alphabet Inc’s Google had already intended probable new users have been not able to down load the application.

The platforms claimed Parler was not performing ample to avert the spread of posts inciting violence, pursuing unrest at the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters very last Wednesday after months of violent rhetoric on on the net web sites.

Parler is now suing Amazon, accusing the company of an unlawful, politically motivated choice to shut it down.

Amazon mentioned the lawsuit has no advantage. In an electronic mail correspondence involved in Parler’s lawsuit, Amazon cited 98 illustrations of Parler posts that “clearly motivate and incite violence.”

Parler Chief Executive John Matze has stated the organization “does not condone or accept violence” on its system.

Parler’s procedures ban certain styles of articles, which include ‘fighting words’ or ‘threats to harm’ that involve threats of violence towards an individual or team, obscenity and pornography. The tips suggest people to “not purposefully share rumors about other buyers/people you know are phony,” but do not point out other policies against misinformation.

Disinformation scientists reported much-proper teams that appeared at the riot maintained a vigorous on the internet existence on alternate platforms such as Parler in which they distribute violent rhetoric and organized ahead of the unrest.