Parler's Injunction Attempt To Force Amazon To Host Website Rejected
Parler's attempt to try and force Amazon to host its website has failed after a judge rejected the call for a preliminary injunction. Following the U.S. Capitol riot that took place on January 6, Parler has found itself facing accusations of fueling the events. At the same time, struggling to keep the service online, operational and accessible to its users.
2020 wasn’t a bad year for Parler considering it saw many users switching, after claiming their voices were being silenced on traditional social media services like Twitter. However, 2021 has so far proven to be less favorable to the platform that's focused on free speech. Specifically, following the events that took place in the U.S. Capitol, Amazon Web Services (AWS) made the decision to remove hosting support for Parler. A decision that effectively took the social media service offline.
Almost immediately following the removal of support, Parler took Amazon to court to try and force the company to reinstate hosting, claiming AWS had breached the terms of its agreement. However, today the judge involved ruled that Amazon was within its rights to end support. In delivering the decision, U.S. District Judge Barbara Rothstein focused on a lack of quality evidence of Amazon having done anything wrong. According to CNBC, the judge explained there was no reason to believe it is the public interest for “AWS to host the incendiary speech that the record shows some of Parler’s users have engaged in.”
Although the social media service was taken completely offline, it hasn’t remained completely offline. The website returned a few days ago, albeit in a greatly reduced capacity. The home page is currently not much more than a placeholder to advise it “will resolve any challenge” and continue to offer a location where “privacy is paramount and free speech essential.” However, today’s verdict is likely to be a major blow to that goal.
As is often the case with legal issues, this is only the start of the battle and not the end. Parler was seeking a preliminary injunction to get the site back up and running while the court matter remains ongoing. As a result, the case is far from over and Parler will still do what it can to try and reverse Amazon's decision. Although if today’s verdict is anything to go by, Parler may require more substantial evidence if it is going to prove Amazon removed host support for any reason other than the platform’s approach to content moderation.
Source: CNBC
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