Tech

Conservatives Burned By Twitter Flock To New Platform

Dorsey, chairman of Twitter and CEO of Square, listens to a fellow panelist during a Techonomy Detroit panel discussion held at Wayne State University in Detroit

REUTERS/Rebecca Cook

Celine Ryan Contributor
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After an unexpected surge of new users caused some technical difficulties earlier in the week, the new app that some are calling the answer to the ongoing battle between conservatives and Twitter is back up and running, promising to support free expression online.

The platform, called Parler News, is named for the French word meaning “to speak,” and many are saying it is the next logical move for those who wish to do so freely without fear of being silenced.

“Alternative platforms will rise and those who are bold will switch,” Parler News founder and CEO John Matze wrote in a post on his platform Monday night. “Big tech is not too big to topple, in fact, they are blinded by their size/power and are hurting themselves by ideologically targeting groups.” (RELATED: Twitter Bans Account Famous For Poking Fun At Leftists … AGAIN)

The structure of the app itself closely mirrors that of Twitter, limiting the learning curve for those who choose to make the jump. User posts are limited to 1,000 characters, which other users can then support by “voting” and “echoing,” rather than “liking” and “retweeting.”

Parler’s app description boasts of “easy discovery of true-trending comments, posts, and news,” promising users that the information they seek won’t be censored or slanted. It also notes a “self-moderation” feature, which allows users to curate their own experiences according to the type of content they want to see, without shutting down the voices of others.

While the platform itself has existed for three months, buzz about the app on Twitter earlier this week prompted thousands of conservatives to download the previously little-known app overnight. These new users include figures like Turning Point USA Communications Director Candace Owens, whose Twitter account was suspended and then reinstated in August after she sent out tweets meant to showcase the anti-white racism of New York Times editorial board member Sarah Jeong, and conservative activist Laura Loomer, who late last month chained herself to Twitter’s front door to protest her own permanent ban from the site.

Continuing growth throughout the week has bumped the app to the seventh most popular news app in the iOS App Store, ahead of The New York Times, Google News, ABC, CNBC, NPR, and The Wall Street Journal apps. Android users can find Parler in the Google Play Store as well. Those who prefer a web-based desktop version can expect one soon, says Matze.

Amid the scramble for usernames, Matze announced an effort to reserve handles of prominent or verified users from other platforms. Evidence of this can be seen when exploring the app, where you’re likely to come across empty profiles with handles such as @TuckerCarlson, @DonaldJTrumpJr, and @Snapchat with display names that read “Reserved.”

While some users are already verified, Matze says users can expect a formal verification process to be available shortly. For now, he is focusing on scaling the platform to make sure it can support the sudden influx of activity. Until then, he asks users experiencing slowness to bear with him.

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