After the Capitol riot that took place in the U.S. it seems that a scapegoat was needed to divert all blame towards, and Parler, the “non-partisan” public social media just happened to be the sacrificial lamb.
Look, I’ve been on the site and I can confirm that it is has conservatives, conspiracy theorists, and right-wing extremists using its services, however in my opinion, it’s no different from Twitter, which hosts a largely progressive, liberals, and left-wing extremists on their side too. In the end, both sites now act as a bubble for like-minded people. What I have an issue with here is how the very idea of social media like Parler effectively being removed from the internet for not adhering to certain rules that Silicon Valley companies have created.
I believe that this is incredibly wrong to approach it like that. Yes, technically these companies have the right to decide who can or can’t use their service but let’s be real here, this is a political attack to maintain the status quo. As much as I know the types of people that use the platform that is Parler, I have to speak up for what is right and call out something that is clearly manipulative and wrong. I don’t think the people at Silicon Valley understand what it is that they’re doing. Forcing these types of people underground will only lead to them finding alternative ways to reach their peers, and if we don’t have eyes on them, and vice versa, it could lead to a very damaging echo chamber for society. Not only that, to try and “control” the internet goes against the very idea of the global system and the principal it was built on.
Every argument that has been thrown at Parler can be redirected at Twitter and Facebook too, which makes them look like power-hungry hypocrites if anything else. We have to call a spade, a spade if we want true net neutrality, otherwise we’re facing a possible monopoly of the internet if you don’t conform to the masses ‘ ideology.
