Stagwell Group President and Managing Partner Mark Penn discusses President-elect Joe Biden’s stimulus proposal and censorship on social media.
EXCLUSIVE – Parler fired CEO John Matze, according to a memo that Matze sent to employees that was obtained by Fox News.
“On January 29, 2021, the Parler board controlled by Rebekah Mercer decided to immediately terminate my position as CEO of Parler. I did not participate in that decision,” wrote Matze. “I understand that those who now control the company have made some communications to employees and third parties that, unfortunately, have created confusion and led me to make this public statement.”
PARLER’S CEO SAYS THE PLATFORM WILL ‘GO STRONG’ WITH CHANGES TO KEEP USERS SAFE WHILE RESPECTING FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
Parler fired CEO John Matze, according to a memo that Matze sent to employees that was obtained by Fox News. (Photo by Jaap Arriens / NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Matze wrote that in the past few months he has encountered “constant resistance” to his original view of the social media platform after Amazon Web Services’ decision to shut down Parler for not moderating “shocking content” related to the January 6 Capitol Riot.
“In the past few months, I have encountered constant resistance to my product view, my strong belief in freedom of expression and my view of how the Parler site should be managed. For example, I have advocated more product stability and what I believe is a more effective for moderating content, “wrote Matze.
Parler did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“I worked endless hours and fought constant battles to make the Parler website work, but at this point, Parler’s future is no longer in my hands,” he continued. “I want to thank the Parler employees, the people who support it and the Parler supporters for their tireless work and devotion to the company. They are an incredible group of diverse, hardworking and talented people and I have the greatest respect for them. Many of them became my second family. “
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Parler, a social media application widely adopted by Trump supporters because it favored free speech, saw an increase in the number of users after President Trump’s permanent suspension on Twitter.
Parler has been down since Amazon Web Services cut it and was expected to restart before the beginning of February, but things have been delayed. A Parler source told Fox News that the delay was caused by new brands and changes within the company in favor of stability.
APPLE AND GOOGLE SUSPEND PARLER FROM ITS APP STORES
Matze has emerged as a conservative media star amid the chaos surrounding his company being taken down by Amazon, making regular appearances on the news to defend freedom of expression.
Matze told employees he will take a few weeks off before looking for a new venture.
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“After that, I will be looking for new opportunities where my technical acumen, vision and the causes I am passionate about will be demanded and respected,” he wrote. “I want to thank all the people in Parler who supported me and the platform. This has been the true American dream: an idea of a living room for a company of considerable value. I’m not saying goodbye, too long for now. “
In addition to Amazon, Google and Apple suspended Parler at their respective app stores.