Published 07:48 IST, January 11th 2021
Amazon to remove Parler from its web hosting service over violence encouraging posts
Parler is a less moderated social network and more conservative-friendly alternative to Facebook and Twitter; it's particularly popular among Trump supporters
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After Apple and Google, Amazon struck another blow and removed social media network Parler from its web hosting service for violating rules. According to CNN, Amazon has told Parler that it found 98 posts on the site to be encouraging violence. Now, as all the three major web hosting services have banned the app, Parler is set to go offline if it fails to find an alternative.
Parler is a social network founded as a less moderated and more conservative-friendly alternative to Facebook and Twitter. The US microblogging site has a user base of conservatives, conspiracy theorists, and right-wing extremists. Launched in 2018, the app also has proved particularly popular among supporters of US President Donald Trump.
In a letter, Amazon’s AWS Trust and Safety team told Parler’s Chief Policy Officer Amy Peikoff that the social network "does not have an effective process to comply with the AWS terms of service”. The letter further read that AWS provides technology and services to the company across the political spectrum and it will respect Parler’s right to determine for itself what content it will allow on its site. However, Amazon added that they cannot provide services to a customer that is unable to effectively identify and remove content that “encourages or incites violence against others”.
Trump’s Twitter account permanently suspended
This comes after Twitter permanently suspended Trump’s account over the risk of ‘incitement of violence’. Twitter said that after assessing the tweets in the context of a violent storming of the Capitol on Wednesday, it determined that Trump’s tweets violated the firm’s ‘Glorification of Violence’ policy and constituted immediate removal from the platform.
In a blog post, Twitter said, “After reviewing of Tweets from the @realDonaldTrump account and the context around them — how they are being received and interpreted on and off Twitter — we have permanently suspended the account due to the risk of further incitement of violence”.
07:48 IST, January 11th 2021