If you look at Apple’s App Store rankings today, you will find that an app called Parler sits at the top of the free app category.
Haven't you heard of Parler? Let us explain.
What is Parler?
Parler is a social network founded in 2018 by two conservative programmers in Nevada, John Matze and Jared Thomson. The site claims to be a "free speech" alternative to Weibo on platforms such as Twitter. In the eyes of the founders, large technology companies clearly have anti-conservative biases and censor these views.
In the summer of 2020, with large social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter cracking down on misinformation, Parler became particularly popular among conservatives and Trump supporters. Users lied that the new rules were aimed at conservatives and they were blocked.
Although Parler was established as a conservative social network, it wasn't until President Trump's tweets were labeled as misinformation warnings on Twitter, and a large number of new users joined the app, and the platform didn't pick up.
The website is named after the French word, which means "to speak". If you remember the anti-French remarks made by conservatives in the early 2000s, it would be a bit funny. Freedom fries, does anyone know?
According to reports, as of July 2020, the platform has 2.8 million users.
According to data from the mobile analytics company Sensor Tower, on November 8, Parler’s downloads on Google Play and App Store in the United States are estimated to reach 636,000. This surpassed Parler's previous best day in June, when it received 119,000 new downloads. On that day, Twitter deleted the "racist toddler" video manipulated by Trump because of the complaint from the copyright owner-the parents of the toddler.
Who is using Parler?
Well, it depends on your definition of "use" Parler.
As mentioned earlier, Parler registered a large number of new users in the summer. Some of these Parler users are just looking for a new conservative and friendly home, in addition to the other social networks they are using. Others have no choice because their content leads to bans on mainstream social media platforms. Conservative politicians such as Ted Cruz and Devin Nunes tweeted about Parler, urging their followers to sign up for the social network.
Jason Miller, one of President Trump's senior advisers, even said on Twitter that he would switch from Twitter to Parler.
Now that the general election is over, Joe Biden has been declared the winner, and Parler is experiencing new improvements. Currently, it is the number one free app in the iOS app store. And some users who gave up Parler are back-at least for now. Johnson started posting on Parler on Sunday, the first time since August. Stucky also posted a quick "Hello", which was her first post since July.
But for example, Eric Trump, who has been posting on Twitter after the election, has not posted on Parler for a week, even after Parler has gained relevance.
Does Parler conduct "censorship" of users?
Many conservatives claim that they joined Parler because of the censorship of major social media platforms. However, for a social network that claims to be a "free speech" platform, there are many prohibited content on Parler being censored-and this content is not legally required to be "censored" by Parler.
Parler’s rules prohibit pornography, the promotion of marijuana, and obscene content. The site has been banned because the user violated some of the more specific rules of the site. Parler's rules also stipulate that "false rumors" are prohibited.
"Don't deliberately share rumors about other users/people that you know are false," Parler's guidelines read. This sounds a lot like a description of misinformation-this is why many conservatives started using the site. (It should be noted that platforms like Facebook and Twitter do not ban users for most forms of misinformation. They simply add a warning label and fact check). )
What is the future of Parler?
Will Parler exist forever? Hard to say. It has previously become very popular on the mobile app rankings. But many conservatives did not hold on for long. Gab or did not like Minds or BitChute such "alternative" social network big breakthrough social media platform to become equally popular social network. In comparison, Facebook has 2.7 billion users. Twitter has 330 million people. Parler estimates there are 4.8 million.
Perhaps this is a problem that needs Dan Bongino to figure out. Bongino is a popular conservative. His Facebook posts are often the most shared content on the entire website, beating news organizations such as CNN and Fox News, and sometimes even President Trump.
In June, Bongino announced a partnership with Parler, including the news that he had purchased an ownership stake in the company. Since then, this "free speech" social network has been flooded with his content.
However, the biggest factor determining Parler's future may be the president himself. Most of the content on the site revolves around Trump. However, although his re-election campaign is quite active on the website, Trump is MIA on the platform. He doesn't even have an account.