Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 24, 2025

Parler app back online after month-long gap

Parler app back online after month-long gap

Controversial social-media app Parler has come back online after more than a month without service.

The Twitter-like app was a favourite among supporters of former US President Donald Trump and right-wing conservatives.

It was banned from Google and Apple's app stores and Amazon's web-hosting service, after an armed mob broke into the US Capitol building on 6 January.

But now, the self-styled free-speech platform says it is "here to stay".

The app was not available for all users immediately, however.

And users reported their posts from the previous version had vanished from their profiles.

'Independent technology'


Parler said the plan was to bring the service back online for existing users first, with new users able to sign up in a week's time.

And it was no longer working with a "big-tech" provider but was "built on sustainable, independent technology".

During its gap in service, the company also sacked vocal chief executive John Matze, replacing him with interim boss Mark Meckler.

"We will thrive as the premier social-media platform dedicated to free speech, privacy, and civil dialogue," Mr Meckler said.

And the decision of other technology companies to cut ties with Parler had been taken "by those who desire to silence tens of millions of Americans".

While users who already have the app downloaded can log in, it is more difficult to install onto phones that did not have it before.

Android users must "sideload" the software, meaning it has to be sourced and installed without using Google's Play Store.

And iPhone users trying to reinstall the app or download it for the first time from Apple's App Store are told it is "not currently available".


Late last year, as Twitter banned some Trump supporters and then President Trump himself, Parler soared up the app charts. It had what every fledgling online business seeks, momentum - until it was stopped in its tracks.

Now it is back, but in a very limited form. It is still unavailable on app stores and with no way yet for new users to sign up. It feels as though its moment has passed - even if its old members do manage to get back online they may find Parler just a little dull.

The past - and the evidence of its use to plan the invasion of Congress - has been wiped clean.

True, the Trump acolyte and Fox firebrand Sean Hannity is back, already posting half a dozen Parleys in the first couple of hours. But while he has over five million followers on Twitter, on Parler he's bellowing into a mostly empty space where a few like-minded people nod quietly in agreement.

Where's the fun in that?

There's probably only one person who could give Parler its mojo back - Donald J Trump. But so far he seems reluctant to show up at a party which feels like it's over.

'Significant stake'


The app's popularity was in part fuelled by President Trump's supporters, who often claimed "censorship" by the largest online platforms.

The former president had allegedly been offered a significant stake in the company if he joined, Buzzfeed News reported earlier this month - something rival politicians are now investigating.

But he never joined Parler while in power and does not appear to have joined the relaunched version.


Its main selling point had been light-touch moderation, which it said was to encourage free speech.

But Google and Apple banned the app for failing to remove posts they felt had incited violence.

And Amazon pulled its web-hosting service days later for similar reasons.

Before the app was knocked offline, however, hackers said they had managed to access an archive of posts and downloads - more than one million videos and images, including some from the 6 January riots.

Carolyn Maloney, who chairs the House oversight committee, has asked the FBI to investigate the role of Parler in the violence at the Capitol.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
×