Parler CEO John Matze said he’s “confident” that the social media platform will be back online by the end of January.
“I’m confident that by the end of the month, we’ll be back up,” Matze told Fox News, days after the Twitter alternative registered its domain with host sharing website Epik, following Amazon Web Services’s decision to stop providing cloud services to Parler, causing the website to go offline.
“Every day it changes wildly, but I feel confident now,” he said. “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.”
In addition to Amazon, Apple and Google also severed ties with Parler, removing the app from their platforms following the deadly riots at the Capitol on Jan. 6. Parler has been accused of not doing enough to censor posts inciting violence, specifically in regards to the deadly events that occurred as Congress sought to certify President-elect Joe Biden’s electoral victory.
On Saturday, Matze posted a note on Parler’s homepage: “Hey is this thing on?” adding, “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!”
Matze noted that the company plans to put out “periodic” updates “so that people can stay up to date with the site.”
Parler sued Amazon last week, alleging the tech giant’s actions against them were unfair, anti-competitive, and politically motivated since Amazon has not taken any action against Twitter for similar violent content on its platform, which is also a client of Amazon Web Services business for hosting websites online.
In its lawsuit, Parler claimed that without Amazon’s support, “Parler is finished as it has no way to get online.” Parler also argued that switching to a different service provider, like Epik, in order to host its platform would require the website to go offline for a “financially devastating period.”
Matze previously said the platform might “never” come back, but he said that the comment was made in a pessimistic moment.