Renzo Downey
Even more “chilling” than Twitter removing President Donald Trump‘s account, Gov. Ron DeSantis says, is tech companies conspiring against Parler.
Speaking Thursday at a keynote luncheon at a legislative policy conference in Austin, Texas, the Governor addressed Google, Apple and Amazon’s recent moves to restrict Parler after the U.S. Capitol riot. The social media platform, used primarily by conservatives, touts itself as a censorship-free alternative to Twitter.
“What really bothered me was how they decapitated this company, Parler,” DeSantis said. “You always said hey, it’s a market, you don’t like Twitter, create your own competitor. Well, they did that.”
After the riot, Twitter began removing some conservative accounts, including the President’s. Users flocked to Parler as a safe haven because Twitter was siding with President-elect Joe Biden‘s administration, the Governor said.
Google yanked Parler’s smartphone app from its app store Friday for allowing posts that seek “to incite ongoing violence in the U.S.” Apple followed suit on Saturday evening after giving Parler 24 hours to address complaints it was being used to “plan and facilitate yet further illegal and dangerous activities.” The platform will need to address public safety issues before it is restored, Apple said.
Amazon struck another blow Saturday, informing Parler it would need to look for a new web-hosting service effective midnight Sunday. It reminded Parler in a letter, first reported by Buzzfeed, that it had informed it in the past few weeks of 98 examples of posts “that clearly encourage and incite violence” and said the platform “poses a very real risk to public safety.”
“Not only did Apple drop them, not only did you have other things, they took them off the web server from Amazon. The lawyers quit. They couldn’t even do this,” he added. “This was a coordinated assault on a company that was trying to compete.”
The conservative think tank Texas Public Policy Foundation holds its Policy Orientation conference annually. Texas’ biennial Legislative Session began Tuesday.
DeSantis also said he was disturbed during the presidential election to see “credible articles” about Hunter Biden, the President-elect’s son, “actively suppressed.” Those actions affected the election, he said.
“Big Tech, they could actually suppress this information, and that is just simply OK?” DeSantis asked. “That is election interference, if you want to be honest about it, and that’s something that really needs to be addressed.”
In response to Facebook and Twitter’s decisions to permanently ban Trump, Zephyrhills Republican Sen. Danny Burgess filed legislation (SB 520) Monday that would require social media sites to provide notice to users who have been punished by the platform.
14 comments
Sonja Fitch
January 15, 2021 at 3:40 am
Stfu Duffus Desantis! Duffus Desantis you are willingly slaughtering Floridians! Duffus Desantis you are brainwashed and braindead ! Get out nazi goptrump death cult sociopath ! You are filth! You have a perverted soul! You are not competent to hold a hose ! Get out!
Robin
January 15, 2021 at 7:57 am
Sonja, such a compelling argument. I’m sure you will sway the minions. Keep it up, we need many people like you for our side.
Scott
January 15, 2021 at 8:19 am
Wow Sonja, you sound perfectly sane and well-adjusted. /s
tjb
January 15, 2021 at 8:38 am
Parler has been a great investigative tool to identify the crazies and far-right terrorists attempting to destroy the American way of life. It is not a question of free speech being ban, but taking away a tool used to root out evil.
Sonja Fitch
January 15, 2021 at 8:41 am
I am an education supporting, law abiding, police funding, Black Lives Matter, pro/choice,Obamacare supporting, ,minimum wage raising, immigration reforming, climate change beleiving, liberal leaning, LGBTQ embracing, pay gap eliminating 72 year old white southern woman! I am a Democrat and I vote! And who are you? Just whiners instead of doers! Peace and love
just sayin
January 15, 2021 at 8:55 am
Sonja, aside from the typos, that’s the most coherent statement you’ve ever made on this site.
Try to do more of that. Argue policy not just some GOP deathcult blahblahblah cut-and-paste word-vomit whining in every single article every single morning.
Frankie M.
January 15, 2021 at 9:05 am
Parler would be fine if they followed their own rules. But they don’t. And somehow that’s my problem?
floridian
January 15, 2021 at 9:33 am
#DESANTIS “The program *WILL* ( not can possibly ) *WILL* provide $1.4 BILLION in emergency rental assistance to FLORIDIANS , of which it is anticipated that more than $850 MILLION >WILL BE < not can WILL BE administered by the State of Florida." SO Why? '" i've announced $85.8 million to address housing instability and homelessness *32,190 homeless people in florida * " where is the balance of those funds going ? NOT A ONE HOUSEHOLD SHOULD BE BEHIND ON ANYTHING BEING THAT EVERY ADULT COULD BE AWARDED 1 MILLION DOLLARS AND THERE STILL BE A SURPLUS SIGNIFICANT SURPLUS.
Tjb
January 15, 2021 at 10:05 am
Supporting Sonja,
We have lost over 20,000 Floridians to COVID-19. How many of these souls have lost their lives because of DeSantis. Even on the simple preventive measure such as wearing of a mask … he will not endorse this measure that will save lives. DeSantis has demonstrated poor leadership with his ill informed polices and actions to mitigate the deadly effects of Covid-19. So, Sonja, I agree that DeSantis has “slaughtered” Floridians.
Thomas Winn
January 15, 2021 at 10:29 am
Almost every Trumpite whines about how their 74 million votes are being ignored .. What about the 78 million votes, one of which was mine, that they want to NOT count? .. I am an 86 year old native Floridian, retired engineer who has been in three parties; DEM, REP, and IND..I’ve seen many governors come and go; Lawton Chiles/Graham best, DeSantis by far the worst..NO leadership qualities whatsoever, just like DICTATOR DONALD!! It is too bad that the DEM’s don’t encourage younger candidates to run instead of tired oldies like Bill Nelson who lost his seat to our previous not-so-great gov. GEORGIA showed us what can be done..
Mike Lynn
January 15, 2021 at 11:35 am
I think Ms. Fitch ate some bad mushrooms or maybe she suffers from Tourett’s syndrome.
In either case I want to give Gov. DeSantis a high-5 for his good management of the Pandemic in Florida. He’s a no-nonsense guy and I would like to see him advance in politics. He’s principled and well balanced.
Ms. Fitch, hope things get better for you. My prayers for your sanity.
Sonja Fitch
January 15, 2021 at 1:57 pm
Oh Mikey you so cute! Another old white man threatened by a woman ! Lol. Duffus Desantis is willingly slaughtering Floridians! Duffus Desantis does not have a clue how to lead and serve and protect ! Vote Florida Democrat Blue in 2022!
Thomas Winn
January 15, 2021 at 2:46 pm
Mike should have left the word “no” out of “no nonsense guy”…I think he forgot that DeSantis called it a hoax(just like DOPEY DONALD} and delayed activating resources to combat COVID..Florida ranks no.2 or 3 on list of deaths and cases…Mike may live in The Villages where truth is as hard to find as a black family!!
James Robert Miles
January 18, 2021 at 8:33 am
I support Sonia! DeSatan has been and continues to be so far up Trump’s butt that he seems to be inheriting some of Trump’s body fat for his brain. With Trump on his way out, what ever will DeSatan do without instructions from his boss? DeSatan is the WORST governor Florida has has in my 70 years of living in Floridah!
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