Amazon is urging a judge to keep social media platform Parler offline, citing a series of death threats against top tech executives and elected officials posted on the site ahead of last week’s deadly Capitol riot, according to a court complaint from Tuesday.
Parler sued Amazon on Monday, alleging Amazon Web Services (AWS) violated antitrust law and the companies’ contractual understanding when the tech giant removed the platform popular with conservatives for its hands-off approach to content moderation.
Amazon lawyers on Tuesday defended the company’s move, saying Parler showed “reluctance and inability” to remove content that “threatens public safety, such as inciting and planning the rape, torture and murder of named government officials. and private citizens. “
The court went on to say that Amazon “Repeatedly” informed Parler that its contents were in violation of the parties’ agreement and requested its removal, “only to establish that Parler was neither willing nor able to do so.”
Amazon said Parler’s suspension was a “last resort to prevent further access to such content,” including plans for violence around president-elect. Joe Biden
Joe Biden A growing number of GOP lawmakers say they support impeachment House passes measure calling on Pence to remove Trump Disney, Walmart says they will block donations to lawmakers who objected to Electoral College results MOREinauguration on January 20.
Parler saw a boost in popularity following the Nov. 3 presidential election, with disinformation widespread across the platform. The app saw another uptick after the riot in the Capitol, with approximately 825,000 installs from the Apple and Google stores between Jan. 6 and Jan. 10, up more than 1,000 percent from the same period a week earlier, according to data from SensorTower.
Amazon lawyers said since mid-November, the company has notified Parler’s chief policy officer of more than 100 content advocating violence on the platform.
Examples cited in the lawsuit included death threats, generally directed against technical executives and Democratic lawmakers, as well as posts named Democrats such as Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Nancy PelosiHouse passes measure calling on Pence to remove Trump (California), Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer
Chuck SchumerWoman Interrupts Schumer’s Press Conference, Calls Him “Racist Anti-Semitic” Overnight Energy: EPA Rule Exempts Many Polluting Industries from Future Air Regulations | Former Michigan Governor Indicted Over Flint Water Crisis: Report | White House officials expelled after paper doubts over climate science Senate to be briefed on inauguration security after Capitol attack MORE (NY) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Earmarks can lead to legislation, which can lead to a cure. (NY).
Other posts focused on Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg
Mark Elliot Zuckerberg Trump Hits Social Media Companies After Banning His Accounts Facebook Tells Employees Not To Wear Company Shirts In Public: Facebook Report Says It Now Deletes Content With Phrase ‘Stop the Steal’ MORE and Google CEO Sundar Pichai with death threats, the court said.
A spokesperson for Parler was not immediately available for comment.
After last week’s deadly riot in the Capitol, technology companies have taken steps to remove and restrict content that could incite more violence.
Trump supporters and right-wing extremists used platforms like Parler, as well as some mainstream social media sites, to organize ahead of the mafia attack on the Capitol. At some marginal sites, extremists are posting reports of possible violent demonstrations for this weekend and the inauguration day.
The mainstream social media sites have also taken action to limit Trump’s presence on their platforms. Facebook has banned Trump indefinitely, at least until Biden’s inauguration, and Twitter has permanently banned the president’s account. YouTube said it would temporarily suspend the president over the “continuing potential for violence.”