- Amazon will no longer provide cloud services for Parler, a social media app popular with Trump supporters, after telling the company hosting “violent content” that it violates its terms of service.
- The suspension will take effect on Sunday at 11:59 pm Pacific time.
- The move will take Parler offline, unless she finds a new company to host her services.
- The decision follows similar moves by Google and Apple, which removed Parler from their app stores.
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Parler CEO John Matze joins CNBC
Amazon withdrew the plug from Parler, a social media app popular with Trump supporters, after the deadly riot at the United States Capitol earlier this week.
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Amazon’s cloud computing unit, Amazon Web Services (AWS), informed Parler on Saturday that it will no longer provide cloud services to the company starting Sunday at 11:59 pm PT, according to an email obtained by CNBC. AWS provides cloud services to Parler that hosts its website, which means that if Parler is unable to locate a new cloud provider by Sunday night, the website will be offline for its users.
News of Amazon’s decision to abandon Parler was first reported by BuzzFeed. Several media outlets reported that Amazon had already suspended Parler, but the site was still available to CNBC staff in the early morning hours, Eastern Time.
In the email, Amazon Web Services’ trust and security team told Parler policy director Amy Peikoff that the platform continues to host “violent content” that violates AWS terms of service. AWS said it was not satisfied with Parler’s attempts to moderate the content on its platform and, as a result, would “suspend Parler’s account”.
“AWS provides technology and services to customers across the political spectrum and we continue to respect Parler’s right to determine for himself what content he will allow on his website,” says the letter. “However, we are unable to provide services to a customer who is unable to effectively identify and remove content that encourages or incites violence against third parties. As Parler cannot comply with our terms of service and represents a very real security risk public, we plan to suspend Parler’s account goes into effect on Sunday, January 10, at 11:59 pm PST. “
Although Google and Apple removed the Parler app from their app stores on Friday and Saturday, respectively, users could still log in if they already had the app installed or through the Parler website. Amazon’s decision to stop Parler’s hosting goes further, leaving it completely offline, unless the company first finds a new host.
An Amazon spokesman confirmed the letter’s authenticity to CNBC, but declined to comment further. A spokesman for Parler did not respond to a request for comment.
AWS told Parler in the email that it flagged 98 examples for Parler of posts that “clearly encourage and incite violence”. Among the posts he reported to Parler, which were seen by CNBC, users of the platform made violent threats directed at “liberal leaders, liberal activists #blm leaders and supporters”, in addition to other groups.
Screenshots of the Parler app viewed by CNBC show users posting references to firing squads, as well as calls to bring weapons into presidential tenure later this month.
John Matze, Parler’s CEO, told the New York Times’ Kara Swisher in an interview on Thursday that he “did not feel responsible for any of this and neither should the platform, considering that we are a neutral square that just adheres to the law. “
Parler, which launched in 2018, emerged as a popular platform for President Trump’s allies last year, presenting itself as a free speech alternative to major social media services like Twitter and Facebook.
Earlier on Saturday, a group of Amazon employees asked the company to cut ties with Parler. In a tweet On Saturday night, the Amazon Employees for Climate Justice group applauded the company’s decision to remove Parler.
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