Parler resurfaces after extremism allegations

Pro-Trump protesters storm into the U.S. Capitol during clashes with police, during a rally to contest the certification of the 2020 U.S. presidential election results 

Credit: Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

Parler positions itself as a "free speech" alternative to mainstream social media networks, with far more lenient content moderation policies than Facebook or Twitter.

The site came under scrutiny after the Capitol Hill protests on January 6, which saw the US government building stormed by demonstrators carrying symbols associated with the extreme far-right.

Before the unrest, which left five people dead, posts were found on the site calling for violence and for "patriots" attending the rally to come armed.

Parler did not immediately reply to a request to comment.

Amid mounting scrutiny of content allowed to remain on the site, Amazon withdrew its hosting services, effectively forcing the site offline. Apple and Google also both deleted the service on their app stores.

In a letter sent to Parler to explain the decision, Amazon said the company was not able to keep calls for violence off its platform.

However before Parler was pushed off the internet, the company’s user base saw immense growth as a result of Donald Trump supporters looking for alternative social networks after the outgoing President was suspended from Facebook and Twitter.

On the Friday following the protests, Parler topped Apple’s App Store in the US and the recorded 210,000 installs in a single day. 

On Sunday, Apple boss Tim Cook said Parler could return to Apple’s App Store if it changes how it moderates posts on the platform.

Speaking to Fox News Sunday, Cook justified suspending Parler, favoured by supporters of President Donald Trump.

"We looked at the incitement to violence that was on there, and we don’t consider that free speech and incitement to violence has an intersection," Cook said.