Apple, Amazon Move to Marginalize Parler

By Tim Higgins and Keach Hagey 

Parler, a social-media app that has rocketed in popularity since the U.S. presidential election, is being pushed to the margins by technology giants concerned the company has a too-loose touch on content appearing on its platform.

Amazon.com Inc. said Saturday it would no longer provide cloud-computing services to Parler, and Apple Inc. suspended the company's app from the App Store. Both companies said Parler hasn't demonstrated in recent conversations that it can adequately address threats of violence on the platform, an issue of great import following the deadly U.S. Capitol riot Wednesday.

"We have always supported diverse points of view being represented on the App Store, but there is no place on our platform for threats of violence and illegal activity," Apple said in a statement. "Parler has not taken adequate measures to address the proliferation of these threats to people's safety."

The announcements from Amazon and Apple come a day after Alphabet Inc.'s Google suspended Parler from its Play Store app marketplace, citing violations of requirements for sufficient moderation of content for apps it distributes.

Write to Tim Higgins at [e-mail] and Keach Hagey at [e-mail]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

January 09, 2021 22:37 ET (03:37 GMT)

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