AUS
NZ
UK
CA
USA
IND
Image Source: MegapixlTM
Summary
- After Amazon got rid of Parler from its cloud, the social media start-up has filed a lawsuit against the e-commerce giant regarding alleged antitrust issues.
- Parler also accused Amazon of colluding with Twitter to bring the start-up down, just when Parler had started growing among masses.
Start-up social media platform Parler will be having a court dispute over antitrust accusations after Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) suspended it from its cloud hosting service.
According to Amazon, the e-commerce giant banned Parler due to increased violent extreme right-wing presence on the social media start-up.
For that reason, Amazon is worried that Parler does not have efficient regulatory norms to comply with Amazon’s terms and conditions.
However, Amazon will save all the data from Parler, so the social media network could safely move to another cloud provider.
Parler became unavailable on Monday (Pacific Time) after Google and Apple followed Amazon to remove the service from their servers in less than a day from each other.
The start-up will remain unavailable for the public until it finds a new platform provider.
John Matze, Parler CEO, predicts that his social media network will be inaccessible for a longer period than initially expected, and said:
When and how did Parler become relevant?
Parler gained wider popularity after the US presidential elections in November. The social media platform contributed to the rise of conspiracy theories surrounding the ‘false’ election fraud as alleged by US President Donald Trump. Recent riots at Capitol Hill, Washington, DC, also boosted a significant number of Parler accounts.
Google and Apple online stores got rid of Parler last week, preventing future users from downloading the app through their cloud service platforms. However, those who already had Parler on their gadgets could continue using it.
Image Source: MegapixlTM
What did Parler say in the antitrust lawsuit?
The official lawsuit from Parler’s side came on Monday morning Pacific time.
Parler complained about being terminated from Amazon’s cloud without being given a month-long notice.
It also accused Amazon of colluding with Twitter to limit Parler’s audience growth. Parler had 12 million users before Amazon’s decision, and it was widely believed that a few million more would have joined the network.
Parler did not attach any evidence that would support its claim against Amazon and Twitter but pointed out to a news release that allegedly proves their collaborations.
Key people at Parler are not entirely certain that the social media start-up will survive after being removed from Amazon’s cloud, even though some right-wing social media platforms have managed to recover after being banned.
What are experts saying?
Some professionals think that Parler could not have relevant data for the trial, even as an anonymous individual kept a meticulous record of Parler’s posts by taking screenshots and uploading them online.
However, such screenshots may be proven untrustworthy and irresponsible if Parler uses them for the trial.
According to Parler’s privacy policy, the platform does not collect as much private information about its users as Facebook and Twitter do. However, Parler has access to each Social Security Number (SSN), their location, phone manufacturer, and other activities, which authorities might use during the legal case.
