This past week Parler, an alternative to Twitter and Facebook, was pulled from Google Playstore and Apple App Store. Following that, AWS decided to revoke their contract as of last Sunday night, and take the app off their servers. Read the link for more info: https://www.toolbox.com/tech/tech-general/news/parler-goes-offline-after-aws-shuts-down-its-servers/?mailingcontentid=187673&utm_medium=email&utm_source=toolbox&utm_campaign=toolbox-tech
Parler, an alternative to Twitter, was thus silenced by big tech companies colluding together to get this done. This is not free speech. This is not free enterprise. These huge infrastructure companies and social networking platforms are now effectively the “town square” where people share thoughts, ideas and opinions.
Although they are not technically governmental institutions, they technically are not responsible for protecting 1st amendment rights. However, they are practically a monopoly that runs the new electronic “town square”. They SHOULD be regulated so that freedom of speech – a first amendment – is protected. Currently there is little or no oversight over these huge social media platforms.
Here is the statement from AWS:
Amazon’s email to Parler Chief Policy Officer Amy Peikoff, first obtained by BuzzFeed News notes, “We cannot provide services to a customer that is unable to effectively identify and remove content that encourages or incites violence against others. Because Parler cannot comply with our terms of service and poses a very real risk to public safety, we plan to suspend Parler’s account effective Sunday, January 10th, at 11:59PM PST.”
This is just so much nonsense. Twitter continues to host users who use that platform to plan violent demonstrations, and incite violence across the country. They, and AWS, do not “pull the plug” on Twitter to stifle BLM activists and antifa thugs.
Yet when a small, tiny competitor by comparison – Parler – is launched, they collude to crush it. I joined Parler, because they allow free speech, a 1st amendment right. Its NOT TRUE that they do not monitor, or censor people if the truly promote violence or hate. They just don’t censor you if you have a different view from others, or that the view of the platform.
What has happened to Parler is censorship based on political alignment. The question is: who is next?
Go read Parler guidelines (if and when the site comes back up).
Here is Ben Shapiro’s analysis of this dangerous situation:
Why are these companies collaborating to silence this tiny free speech platform? Because Parler is not censoring the way Twitter, Google and Facebook would like them to censoring, They are not supporting the official “narrative”. They are allowing a free exchange of ideas.
But wait – I thought this was America, the “land of the free and the home of the brave”?
Paul M. Dooley & Assoc. 