Economy
Parler will go offline starting tonight until it finds a new internet host
The increasingly popular social media site Parler has come under attack from big tech in the past two days since President Donald Trump’s Twitter account was suspended permanently Friday. Just as a conservative exodus to Parler began, Google Play and Apple pulled the app from their stores and Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced they will no longer host the site—Parler is expected to go offline tonight and for possibly up to a week.
An AWS representative emailed Parler Chief Policy Officer Amy Peikoff Saturday, as reported by Buzzfeed, notifying her that the app would be taken offline Sunday at midnight because AWS has “seen a steady increase in this violent content on [Parler], all of which violates our terms.”
Amazon appears to blame Parler for allowing the planning of the Jan. 6 capitol disaster and other violent events on its platform.
“Over the past several weeks, we’ve reported 98 examples to Parler of posts that clearly encourage and incite violence,” the email reads. “It’s clear that Parler does not have an effective process to comply with the AWS terms of service. It also seems that Parler is still trying to determine its position on content moderation.”
As a result of Parler’s lack of censorship, the site will come down tonight until a new web host brings the site back to its millions of users. This is far more severe than Google or Apple pulling the app from their stores as AWS runs the entire system—so now the infrastructure of the app is gone.
Parler CEO John Matze wrote on the app Saturday night that “there is the possibility Parler will be unavailable on the internet for up to a week as we rebuild from scratch.”
He credits the coordinated attack by big tech with Parler’s quick success amid Twitter cracking down on conservatives more aggressively than ever before—including the suspension of accounts run by President Trump, Lt. Gen. Mike Flynn, and Team Trump.
So until Parler enacts a policy for content moderation or makes a deal with another internet provider, it will go offline.
Google Play was the first to revoke Parler of its place in its app store.
“In order to protect user safety on Google Play, our longstanding policies require that apps displaying user-generated content have moderation policies and enforcement that removes egregious content like posts that incite violence,” Google’s statement read. “All developers agree to these terms and we have reminded Parler of this clear policy in recent months. We’re aware of continued posting in the Parler app that seeks to incite ongoing violence in the US….In light of this ongoing and urgent public safety threat, we are suspending the app’s listings from the Play Store until it addresses these issues.”
Apple soon followed suit, calling fro “adequate measures” to be taken.
“We have always supported diverse points of view being represented on the App Store, but there is no place on our platform for threats of violence and illegal activity,” Apple said in a statement. “Parler has not taken adequate measures to address the proliferation of these threats to people’s safety. We have suspended Parler from the App Store until they resolve these issues.”
Users will not be able to download Parler now on these systems—but this won’t be the biggest issue since the entire site will be down until the free-speech platform finds a new host.
You can follow Ben Wilson on Twitter @BenDavisWilson
Progressive California is digging itself deeper and deeper into a literal energy crisis. Last week, twenty members of the Air Quality Management District “approved the plan to phase out and ban gas-powered systems that emit nitrogen oxide, or NOx, and that contribute to air pollution. Three board members were absent, and one member abstained” writes National Review.
The ban will phase out the sale of new gas furnaces and water heaters in Northern California. As a result, it will “be costly for residents, will further burden an already stretched electric grid, and will have minimal environmental impact” energy experts and economists told National Review.
“The move is emblematic of California’s approach to energy, which involves ramping up the demand for electricity while gutting the state’s ability to meet its electricity needs,” they said.
Specifically, it is “a regressive policy that’s going to increase costs in a state that is already unaffordable, it’s going to do minimal in terms of reducing [greenhouse-gas] emissions, and it’s going to stress a problem that we already have no plan of addressing, which is [that] our grid is going to be unable to provide reliable electricity,” said Wayne Winegarden, a senior fellow in business and economics at the California-based Pacific Research Institute who is studying the state’s electricity shortfall.
Winegarden said California already has a major housing-affordability problem. “And now we’re going to make it even less affordable,” he said. While there are state and federal incentives and subsidies for people to purchase and install electric heating systems, Winegarden, an economist, called it a “shell game.”
“Subsidies don’t get rid of the costs,” he said. “They just redistribute the costs.”
The board’s vote did not address natural-gas stoves because it doesn’t regulate indoor air pollution, notes National Review. However, earlier this year, the Biden administration’s Consumer Product Safety Commission was considering restrictions, and possibly a ban, on natural-gas stoves.
-
education2 days agoPolice found maps, manifesto made by TN school shooter and former student who identified as transgender
-
Nation3 days agoHouse demands Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg to release communications on ‘unprecedented abuse of prosecutorial authority’ against Trump
-
education5 days agoNo Democrats vote for ‘Parents Bill of Rights’ claiming it promotes ‘fascism’
-
Elections1 day agoJim Jordan demands IRS explain unexpected visit to Matt Taibbi’s home during testimony
