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The app had over two million new users after the election.
By Olivia Jakiel — Written on Nov 09, 2020
Nov. 7, 2020 is a day that will be remembered in American history for...well, all of American history.
After it was announced that Joe Biden is the projected winner of the 2020 presidential election, right-wingers and conservatives have been taking to social media to share how they feel about the results.
And while conservative social media users are still using Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and more, there’s a relatively new social media app that’s become increasingly popular over the last few days, and that app is Parler.
What is Parler, the conservative social media app?
Parler is a “free speech social network” app that was launched in 2018 by John Matze and Jared Thomson, and has been gaining popularity since it was announced that Joe Biden beat out Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election on Nov. 7, 2020.
According to the app’s homepage, those who use Parler can:
“Speak freely and express yourself openly, without fear of being ‘deplatformed’ for your views. Engage with real people, not bots.
"Parler is people and privacy-focused, and gives you the tools you need to curate your Parler experience.”
Parler is one of the top conservative social media platforms in 2020.
Per the app’s website, Parler describes its values through a series of “guidelines” for their users:
“Be yourself: Discuss and defend your values, passions, accomplishments and ideas in an environment that lets you be you, free of agenda-driven ‘shadow-banning.’
"All Parlayers are equal: Regardless of race, sex, age, sexual preference, religion, politics, or dietary choices — well , except pineapple pizza — every user is treated equally under Parler’s Community Guidelines.
"Religious freedom: Adherents of all religions — as well as non-adherents — are welcome to converse civilly, to discuss solutions to pressing world problems, and hopefully come to understand we are all more similar than we are different.
"Content creation exacerbates hate: Biased content curation policies enable rage mobs and bullies to influence Community Guidelines. Parler’s viewpoint-neutral policies foster a community of individuals who tolerate the expression of all non-violent ideas.”
Why are conservatives flocking to Parler?
Earlier this year, Twitter and Facebook started fact-checking and slapping disclaimers onto tweets and posts that promoted misinformation.
However, some social media users claimed the social networks were violating their “free speech” rights, so many people threatened to stop using the apps.
Enter Parler, an app where you can — as described in the company’s values — pretty much say whatever you want without getting censored or fact-checked.
In fact, over two million people joined the social media app after Trump’s loss to Biden.
CEO John Matze took to the platform to inform app users of the news.
"Finally! Things are smoothing out a bit on Parler,” he wrote. “All these new accounts snuck up on us out of nowhere...I mean, we expected a million or so people today...but 2? You guys are crazy.”
Is the Parler app free?
Yes, the Parler app is free to download and to use.
How do you use Parler?
Apparently, that’s one of the most popular questions about the app, as its users have been complaining that it’s not very user-friendly.
“I support Parler and I’m on there but I wish it was more user friendly. I hope they figure out how to improve the experience before they have a mass exodus. People will only be patient for so long,” one Twitter and Parler user wrote.
Another social media user echoed that sentiment, writing, “It’s hard to find people and pages. I’ve been on it for awhile but I’m not ditching the other platforms. To be successful in the long run, Parler needs to match the users expectations they’re accustomed to on other SM sites. They don’t need to reinvent the wheel.”
Who is on Parler?
Some conservatives who have endorsed Parler and have relatively popular accounts include Ted Cruz, Sean Hannity, and Eric Trump.
Olivia Jakiel is an editor and writer who covers celebrity and entertainment news. Follow her on Instagram and keep up with her zingers on Twitter.