- Parler started again with a co-founder of Tea Party Patriots.
- The social media platform was taken offline by Amazon Web Services in January.
- The site, a favorite for the far right, is a plan for the uprising of the Capitol.
- Visit the Insider Business Department for more stories.
Parler, the preferred social media platform for the far right, announced Monday that it is back online after being downloaded on January 11 by an Amazon hosting service.
The site has become a haven for extremists from before Trump and during the Capitol uprising. Amazon Web Services (AWS) has found that it ” poses a very real risk to public safety. ”
On Monday, the company announced that the website is up and running with a co-founder of Tea Party serving as interim CEO. Mark Meckler, a lawyer, political activist and founder of the Tea Party Patriots, has replaced former CEO and co-founder John Matze, who was fired by the company’s board earlier this month.
Read more: How Silicon Valley banned Donald Trump in 48 hours
Meckler said in a statement Monday: “Parler was built to provide a social media platform that protects free speech and values privacy and civil discourse,” emphasizing the platform’s focus on freedom of speech. “Parler is managed by an experienced team and is here to stay. We will thrive as the leading social media platform dedicated to freedom of speech, privacy and civil dialogue,” the statement said.
—Tyler Adkisson (@tyadkisson) 15 February 2021
According to publicly available WHOIS data, the domain is registered with Epik, which also houses Gab, another right-wing social media platform.
A spokesman did not immediately return Insider’s request for comment.
Parler is largely funded by Rebekah Mercer, a conservative megadonor whose family was among the most influential supporters of then-candidate Donald Trump in 2016. Dan Bongino, a conservative activist, also said he is a co-owner.
The company was scrutinized after the uprising in Capitol as evidence emerged that the rioters used Parler and other platforms to coordinate the attack.
Apple and Google removed Parler from their app stores shortly after the uprising, saying it still allows content that threatens to increase violence, in violation of their policies. Amazon has removed Parler’s access to its web hosting services, and other tech companies have refused to do business with it, effectively taking the platform offline.
Parler will return its current users immediately during the first week of the relocation and intends to allow new users to sign up the following week, the statement said.