Parler, in addition to seeing its app banned from the Google Play Store and Apple’s AppStore because the platform allows for the uninhibited airing of hate speech (exclusively far-right), unfounded conspiracy theories, and open calls for violence against and killings of politicians and others, is going to be shut down tonight by Amazon Web Services. AWS is the site’s chosen web host, and they decided yesterday to part ways with Parler. Effective 11:59 PM tonight Parler is going dark.
Amazon Is Booting Parler Off Of Its Web Hosting Service
Amazon's suspension of Parler's account means that unless it can find another host, once the ban takes effect on Sunday Parler will go offline.
Amazon notified Parler that it would be cutting off the social network favored by conservatives and extremists from its cloud hosting service Amazon Web Services, according to an email obtained by BuzzFeed News. The suspension, which will go into effect on Sunday just before midnight, means that Parler will be unable to operate and will go offline unless it can find another hosting service.
One of the many posts that made Amazon’s decision for them is here:
Parler’s attempt at cleaning up their act a bit was too little, too late:
Parler reportedly removed posts by Trump affiliate Lin Wood calling for execution of VP Mike Pence
It seems that even the “free speech” social network Parler has its limits.
The social network that has attracted scores of conservative commentators because of its commitment to free speech has taken down several posts from Trump affiliate Lin Wood, according to a report in Mediaite.
In one of the posts removed from the social media platform, Wood called for the execution of Vice President Mike Pence.
At first it looked like Parler could weather the storm, as Parler CEO John Matze acknowledged that Amazon Web Services was taking Parler down Sunday night, but, Matze confidently asserted, that they were going to rebuild the infrastructure and would be right back.
AWS cuts off Parler, CEO aims to rebuild infrastructure
In a post on Parler Saturday, Matze said:
Sunday (tomorrow) at midnight Amazon will be shutting off all of our servers in an attempt to completely remove free speech off the internet. There is the possibility Parler will be unavailable on the internet for up to a week as we rebuild from scratch. We prepared for events like this by never relying on amazons proprietary infrastructure and building bare metal products.
We will try our best to move to a new provider right now as we have many competing for our business, however Amazon, Google and Apple purposefully did this as a coordinated effort knowing our options would be limited...
So, rebuild a bit, go down for a few days, and then just choose another host, as there were, in the words of Matze “many competing for our business”.
THAT does no longer look likely, a day later. It seems that the former suitors have all pulled out, one by one, and that Parler’s return at any point is not guaranteed at all anymore.
The lawyers who represented Parler decided to bow out. They were planning to sue AWS. For what? AWS is a private company and they can decide who they sell hosting services to. Now they don’t even have legal representation to do so.
The web hosting services Parler’s CEO claimed just yesterday are fighting for Parler’s business? All gone.
Further, ZENDESK, a major backbone provider, is also ditching Parler:
along with another major web backbone provider:
It looks VERY likely that Parler, after going dark tonight, will not be back quickly, if ever. They are being ditched by all web hosting services, all backbone suppliers, messaging services, even their lawyers. I think they are DONE. They are too radioactive at this point for any hosting company to add to their customer base, and woven through their infrastructure is software that they are also no longer able to utilize, which would mean a complete reprogramming of the site software in addition to having no home to park the software. The lights are going out, and it looks dim for the future.
To which I can only say:
GOOD RIDDANCE!
AUF WIEDERSEHEN
SAYONARA
Background: PARLER is (was?) the right-wing’s answer to Twitter, a service frequented mostly by far-right Conservatives, QAnon types, Proud Boys, and Neo-Nazi types. The site was founded and is financed by Rebekah Mercer, whose father is right-wing Billionaire Robert Mercer, a major Trump supporter and founder/primary investor of now defunct Cambridge Analytica (backstory on the Cambridge Analytica scandal is here.) Parler was created specifically to disseminate right-wing propaganda and right-wing lies: Meet Rebekah Mercer, the deep-pocketed co-founder of Parler, a controversial conservative social network
"John and I started Parler to provide a neutral platform for free speech, as our founders intended, and also to create a social media environment that would protect data privacy," Mercer said in a statement on the platform. "The ever increasing tyranny and hubris of our tech overlords demands that someone lead the fight against data mining, and for the protection of free speech online. That someone is Parler, a beacon to all who value their liberty, free speech, and personal privacy."
Yeah, sure, they exist to combat “tyranny” and “for the protection of free speech online” by using right-wing hate speech that, by the hundreds and thousands, literally called for the murder and mutilation and rounding up of anyone who does not agree with them, of all liberals, of all Republicans not on board with Trump’s attempts at sedition.
Buh-bye now!