Parler, largely known as a conservative social media site, is suing Amazon after the internet giant pulled Parler from its web hosting services.
In the lawsuit, Parler claims that Amazon Web Services violated antitrust laws and is in breach of contract because Amazon did not give Parler 30 days’ notice before removing the account.
“AWS’s decision to effectively terminate Parler’s account is apparently motivated by political animus,” reads the legal complaint. “It is also apparently designed to reduce competition in the microblogging services market to the benefit of Twitter.
“Doing so is the equivalent of pulling the plug on a hospital patient on life support,” the lawsuit says. “It will kill Parler’s business — at the very time it is set to skyrocket.”
In an email from Amazon Web Services, Parler was told that the platform did not properly manage “violent content” on the site.
“Recently, we’ve seen a steady increase in this violent content on your website, all of which violates our terms,” the email reads. “It’s clear that Parler does not have an effective process to comply with the AWS terms of service.”
Parler is asking a judge to issue a temporary restraining order so the site can go live again.
“This was a coordinated attack by the tech giants to kill competition in the market place,” Parler CEO John Matze said in a statement. “We were too successful too fast.”
The Apple App Store and Google Play both suspended Parler over the weekend. The decisions come after speculation that the site was used “to plan, coordinate, and facilitate” the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.
“We have received numerous complaints regarding objectionable content in your Parler service, accusations that the Parler app was used to plan, coordinate, and facilitate the illegal activities in Washington D.C. on January 6, 2021, that led (among other things) to loss of life, numerous injuries, and the destruction of property,” Apple wrote to Parler.
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Amanda Casanova is a writer living in Dallas, Texas. She has covered news for ChristianHeadlines.com since 2014. She has also contributed to The Houston Chronicle, U.S. News and World Report and IBelieve.com. She blogs at The Migraine Runner.
