Parler lurching back to life, still absent from Apple App Store, Google Play

Parler.com is back online, barely

Controversial social media venue Parler is showing signs of life on a new hosting platform, but has not resumed service or appeared on Apple's or Google's platforms.

The controversial social media app Parler was kicked off of Amazon servers, the Google Play Store, and Apple App Store after the riots in the Capitol on January 6. Evidence cited by Amazon, Apple, and Google demonstrated that the app was being used to plan the event and hosted significant amounts of hate speech and extremist content before being de-platformed.

Following Amazon's cutting of service, Parler had been down for about eight days. Over the weekend, it made a very slight return with a message from the Parler CEO John Matze.

Now seems like the right time to remind you all — both lovers and haters — why we started this platform. We believe privacy is paramount and free speech essential, especially on social media. Our aim has always been to provide a nonpartisan public square where individuals can enjoy and exercise their rights to both.
We will resolve any challenge before us and plan to welcome all of you back soon. We will not let civil discourse perish!

The service found refuge with Epik, a domain registrar for other websites like 8Chan and Gab. Moving a web service across servers is a lengthy process, so it could be some time before Parler makes a full-fledged return.

"I'm confident that by the end of the month, we'll be back up," Matze told Fox News during a telephone interview on Sunday night. "Every day it changes wildly, but I feel confident now. We're making significant progress. When you go into Parler.com it doesn't go into the void now, it hits a server, and it returns just one piece of information"

Matze wants to include updates on the static page everyday as Parler gets ready for a relaunch. He hopes to keep the platform vendors anonymous going forward to keep from being banned again in the future.

Apple CEO Tim Cook stated in multiple interviews that Parler could return to the App Store once it complies with Apple's Terms of Service. Given Matze's post, it seems unlikely that Parler will be willing to comply with Apple's rules.