Politics

Parler files lawsuit against Amazon after app is suspended on Amazon’s hosting service

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The alternative social media platform Parler filed a lawsuit against Amazon on Monday after Amazon Web Services made the decision to suspend Parler from its cloud hosting service, according to Fox News. 

The decision follows the events at the U.S. Capitol last week. Parler is seeking a temporary restraining order to keep Amazon Web Services (AWS) from shutting down Parler and claims AWS is violating the Sherman Antitrust Act in the filing.

“AWS’s decision to effectively terminate Parler’s account is apparently motivated by political animus,” Parler claims in its filing. “AWS is violating Section 1 of the Sherman Antitrust Act in combination with Defendant Twitter. AWS is also breaching it[s] contract with Parler, which requires AWS to provide Parler with a thirty-day notice before terminating service, rather than the less than thirty-hour notice AWS actually provided. Finally, AWS is committing intentional interference with prospective economic advantage given the millions of users expected to sign up in the near future.”

Parler claims that it is being discriminated against because it is in direct competition with social media giant Twitter. “Last month, Defendant Amazon Web Services, Inc. (“AWS”) and the popular social media platform Twitter signed a multi-year deal so that AWS could support the daily delivery of millions of tweets. AWS currently provides that same service to Parler, a conservative microblogging alternative and competitor to Twitter,” the filing reads. “When Twitter announced two evenings ago that it was permanently banning President Trump from its platform, conservative users began to flee Twitter en masse for Parler. The exodus was so large that the next day, Parler became the number one free app downloaded from Apple’s App Store.” Parler went dark early Monday following AWS’ decision to suspend Parler from its cloud hosting service. During an interview on “Mornings with Maria” on Monday, CEO John Matze told users to “hold on and come back” as the company figures out how to move forward.

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR: CONNOR KMIECIK

PHOTO CREDITS: OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP 

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