Parler , the social networking platform primarily used by right-wing and conservatives, is now facing complaints from its own users .
See also: New blow for Parler: Apple denies its return to the App Store
Shortly after the CEOs of Facebook , Google , and Twitter testified before Congress, Parler accused (via letter) the big tech companies of trying to disrupt the right-wing social network to avoid their own responsibilities and roles in what happened on January 6, when supporters of then-President Donald Trump violently stormed the Capitol . Parler also called for an investigation into collusion between the big companies and anti-competitive practices.
See also: Parler returns to the Internet after a month-long absence
In the letter, Parler says the company “reported violent content from Parler’s platform over 50 times prior to January 6th” as well as “specific threads of violence” related to events planned for the Capitol on January 6th.
However, Parler's attempt to blame Facebook and other companies backfired.
Soon, many Parler users began accusing the platform of “giving the authorities” the site’s members.
“SO, PARLER IS NO BETTER THAN FAKEBOOK AND TWITTER…..?” wrote one user. “This is NOT an example of a platform that promotes free speech. Parler is a scam,” said another.
The backlash to the news that Parler had “teamed up” with the FBI to report violent contentwas so intense that the platform was forced to release a statement addressing angry users.
See also: FBI: Called to investigate Parler in connection with the Capitol attack
“Some users have raised questions about the practice of referring violent content to law enforcement,” Parler says. “The First Amendment does not protect speech that incites violence, nor the planning of violent acts. This content violates Parler’s Terms. The violent content shared with law enforcement was publicly available and was primarily made known through user reporting. Since it is a public post, it can reach the authorities by anyone. Parler remains steadfast in protecting your right to free speech,” the platform says.
However, this type of speech that Parler says violates its rules is the same type of speech that Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube also condemn. Parler is supposed to be a platform that is different from the others and promises freedom of speech.
While there were some who supported this explanation by Parler, some of their users expressed their disapproval.
Five people died after the Capitol attack. Companies including Apple, Google, and Amazon removed Parler from their app stores and services.
However, some of Parler’s claims in its letter to Congress are true. For example, Facebook has been cited in court documents related to the Capitol invasion. But Parler only has a small percentage of users compared to Facebook, so content moderation is easier and should be done. This was also the reason the platform was removed from the big companies. The fact that it did not take care to check the content to ensure that it did not violate the rules.
Source: Mashable
