Parler Being Taken Down From App Stores Means Trump Is Running Out Of Options

Parler, a rising social media site, has gone offline after Amazon suspended it from its servers on Sunday. Amazon claims that the suspension is a result of violent and threatening content. The app will remain offline until it adopts stricter content moderation. Parler is an app that has been popularized by conservatives and far right extremists.

Amazon provided a letter explaining their decision to abandon the Parler app: "Recently, we've seen a steady increase in this violent content on your website, all of which violates our terms," the Amazon Web Services trust and safety team said.

Google Play and Apple took a similar stance, removing the platform from its app stores over the weekend.

"We’re aware of continued posting in the Parler app that seeks to incite ongoing violence in the U.S.,” Google said in a statement regarding its decision to remove the app.

"We have continued to find direct threats of violence and calls to incite lawless action" Apples review board says.

The Parler app has been described as “Twitter for conservatives” by publications like NBC. It was a meeting place for Trump supporters, many of whom were involved in the attack on Capitol Hill.

Those attempting to access their Parler accounts this morning were greeted with a message: "parler.com’s server IP address could not be found."

Parler was founded in 2018 and conservatives have adopted it, looking to move away from apps like Twitter and Facebook which gave strict moderation policies. Parler has become a safe space for conservative ideas to flourish without being challenged or attacked.

This past week marked what seems like the end of President Trump’s social media presence as we know it. Several platforms have come down the line banning him from using it. Perhaps the most shocking blow, is Twitter's decision to suspend Trump at least until the end of his term, out of fear of further incitement of violence. Throughout his four years in office, Trump has become synonymous with the app, using it as a means to express his opinions and talk directly to his supporters.

Being banned from virtually every major social media platform, and Parler being taken down - Where will our social media loving President go to express his opinions now? Will he develop his own social media platform? This would obviously take years to come to fruition, but it appears to be the only other option for Trump at this point.