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A group of Parler app users filed a class action lawsuit against Amazon Web Services (AWS) on Tuesday for suspending the social media application from its platform.
The plaintiffs claim AWS, a subsidiary of Amazon, treated Parler unfairly and has interfered in their “contract” with the app company by dropping it from Amazon’s cloud hosting service, the class action lawsuit says. As a result of the app’s suspension, the users say, they’ve suffered emotional distress.
The Parler app users want a federal judge to step in and issue a temporary injunction forcing AWS to reinstate Parler and continue hosting it while the class action lawsuit is being litigated, according to the Daily Camera.
AWS removed Parler from its platform Jan. 10. According to a report by CNN, the tech giant sent a letter to Parler chief policy officer Amy Peikoff saying AWS had recently reported to Parler 98 instances of posts that encouraged and incited violence. The letter reportedly included screenshots of several of the posts.
Google removed Parler from its Google Play app store Jan. 8, and Apple followed suit Jan. 9, both citing similar reasons as AWS — that Parler allegedly hadn’t taken adequate action to address an increasing tendency for its users to post content that encouraged or incited violence.
Parler is a social media application that has been favored by conservative users, many of whom say they have become dissatisfied with Facebook after it began cracking down on content posted by its users that violates the company’s terms and policies.
The day after it was suspended by AWS, Parler itself filed a lawsuit against the company seeking reinstatement and claiming unfair treatment and politically motivated double standards, Yahoo News reported. Amazon violated antitrust law and breached its contractual arrangement with Parler, that lawsuit claims.
The Parler app users cited Parler’s lawsuit and its legal arguments in their class action lawsuit.
“Parler was advised … AWS was not confident that Parler could properly police its platform regarding content that encourages or incites violence against others,” the users’ class action lawsuit says. “However, … one of the top trending tweets on the Twitter social media application was ‘Hang Mike Pence’ and it appears that AWS took no action against Twitter, has any plans to take action, nor has made any threats to suspend Twitter’s account.”
Plaintiffs Charles Hoyt of Colorado, Rodney Dugar of California, Victoria Stilz of Nevada, Dwayne Bronk of Illinois and Nicole Bailey of North Carolina filed the class action lawsuit Tuesday and are seeking the court’s approval to represent “from hundreds of thousands to millions” of Parler and subscribers who have been affected by AWS’ actions.
All five lead plaintiffs say they were active subscribers and Parler users and are among the “overwhelming majority” who are “decent, law-abiding human beings … who have not engaged in any type of offensive, violent or hate speech of any kind.”
By cutting off the plaintiffs’ access to Parler, AWS allegedly has interfered with their contract with the social media company.
The move has caused them “to suffer highly unpleasant mental reactions, outrage, anger, frustration, shame, humiliation, chagrin, disappointment, worry, inconvenience, and/or severe emotional distress,” their class action lawsuit says.
Are you a Parler app user? Tell us what you think of Amazon Web Services’ decision in the comment section below.
The plaintiffs and the proposed Class Members are represented by Brad R. Irwin, Roger D. Fraley Jr. and Ken Falkenstein of Irwin Fraley PLLC; and Jon C. Boesen of Boesen Law LLC.
The Parler App Class Action Lawsuit is Charles Hoyt, et al. v. Amazon Web Services Inc., Case No. 1:21-cv-00094, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado.
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522 thoughts onParler App Users File Class Action Lawsuit Against Amazon Web Services Over Suspension
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Please add me. I was very disappointed when this was done to Parler and so frustrated that I couldn’t use it.
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