Conservative social media app Parler linked to the US Capitol riots may be relaunched ahead of the 2024 US presidential election early next year, the platform’s owner said on Monday.
The far-right app with weak content moderation in support of “free speech” became popular among conservatives and is known for its use by rioters who were part of the 6 January insurrection.
It has been offline since April when it was purchased by digital media conglomerate Starboard – months after an acquisition agreement with rapper Kanye West, legally known as Ye, collapsed in November.
The app was briefly struck off both Apple and Android playstores in 2021 due to its connections to the 6 January Capitol riots and has been undergoing a “strategic assessment” following Starboard’s acquisition of the company.
“Our mission is clear: to provide a secure and inclusive environment for open dialogue,” Parler’s new chief Ryan Rhodes said in a statement.
The app’s relaunch comes amid an increasingly growing conservative social media landscape with apps such as Truth Social linked to former US president Donald Trump, and Elon Musk’s X – formerly Twitter – also becoming a hub for right-wing users.
“While not aiming to compete with Truth Social, our monitoring measures are dedicated to keeping harmful content like terrorism, child porn, and trafficking off our platform,” Mr Rhodes said.
When it was launched in 2018, Parler offered an alternative to platforms like Facebook and Twitter that had stricter rules against hate speech, disinformation, and other objectionable content.
Its rules were looser and allowed users to post and share freely, including false claims about the 2020 presidential election being rigged.
In the days leading up to the Capitol riots, the platform was proliferating with posts on violent political threats, conspiracies, and insurrection-related content.
Google suspended Parler from its store “in light of this ongoing and urgent public safety threat” but allowed it back a year after the ban.
The tech giant then allowed Parlet back after it agreed to abide by the Play Store rules and modified its compliance measures.
The company now hopes its revamped version will be available in the Apple and Google app stores.
“As long as X is able to get in the app store the way they’re running, I don’t see any reason we wouldn’t be able to,” Elise Pierotti, one of the co-owners of the app, told NBC news.
She said the app’s new rules would limit some forms of bullying and harassment while still providing leeway for free speech.
