Downloads of Parler in app stores skyrocketed in the days after
the US presidential election
By Kim
Lyons Updated Nov 14, 2020, 5:56pm EST
Social media app Parler receives financial
backing from conservative hedge-fund investor Robert Mercer and his daughter
Rebekah, The Wall Street Journal reported. The app, founded as an alternative to
Twitter and Facebook which bills itself as “viewpoint neutral” saw nearly 1 million new downloads in the
days after the US presidential election, rocketing it to the top of the iOS and
Google Play app stores.
Parler turned into a kind of de facto home for
conservatives’ protests against the election— including the persistent “Stop the Steal” campaign—
after the race was called for former Vice President Joe Biden.
Several high-profile conservative social media personalities encouraged people
to abandon Twitter and Facebook because of their moderation policies, and
instead follow them on Parler.
According to the WSJ, the Mercers,
known for giving financial support to conservative causes and
organizations, including Cambridge Analytica, have not
previously revealed their connection to Parler.
In a “parley” (what Parler calls its posts) on Saturday,
a user with the handle Rebekah Mercer and a yellow “verified” badge said she
and “John,” an apparent reference to Parler CEO John Matze, “started Parler to
provide a neutral platform for free speech as our founders intended,” and that
“the ever increasing tyranny and hubris of our tech overlords lead the fight
against data mining” and online free speech.
Matze replied: “Bekah is a great friend, an
American patriot,” and said he was grateful for her support.
Parler
Parler did not return a request for comment
Saturday. On its website, the Nevada-based company says it “is the solution to
problems that have surfaced in recent years due to changes in Big Tech policy
influenced by various special-interest groups.” As the Wall Street
Journal notes, Parler doesn’t use the content recommendation
algorithms that other social platforms do, algorithms which determine what
content users ultimately see based on their behavior. Instead, Parler shows
users all posts from other users they follow.
A longstanding gripe among conservatives on social media
is that Twitter and Facebook’s algorithms discriminate against them,
“shadowbanning” their content. So far, there’s been no conclusive evidence of such behavior.
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