Amidst the controversy over social media sites like Facebook and Twitter reporting misinformation or banning members for violating the platform’s policies, an alternative social network is gaining in popularity.
Parler tops the charts on the app stores, but what is it and how different is it from the larger and more recognizable social media platforms?
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What is Parler?
While you may not have heard of Parler until recently, the social media site has been around since 2018. To be polite, it probably gets its name from the French verb meaning “to speak” rather than a misspelling of “parlor.” “.
The platform, which bills itself as “the world’s leading platform for free speech”, is based on the idea that social media sites should not interfere with users’ expression of their views. Basically it is an alternative social network, but there are many other alternative social networks out there .
“Biased content selection policies allow angry mobs and bullies to influence community guidelines,” explains Parler’s Values page . “Neutral policies from Parler’s point of view promote a community of individuals who tolerate the expression of all non-violent ideas.”
Parler has what he calls a “community jury” to enforce community guidelines based on “fair and just legal precedents.” However, it is not clear how this jury actually works.
In its guidelines, Parler also reserves the right to remove a user’s content or to ban it from the platform “at any time for any reason”.
The site offers users a wide variety of tools to control the content they see. This includes blocking users or filtering posts with certain keywords. Parler positions this as a way to moderate your world without interfering with the overall content of the platform.
Related: Popular services to avoid if you value free speech
Parler is not just about free speech, however. The platform also competes with other social media sites by promising to never sell user data, something other social media platforms are notorious for.
It also has a special “Parler Citizen Verification” process to prevent bots, but our platform experience questions the effectiveness of this verification.
However, we had to fill out a captcha and enter a security code sent to our mobile phone every time we logged in.
How does Parler work?
Functionally speaking, Parler works similarly to other social media sites like Twitter and Facebook. Users are given recommended people and topics to follow as they populate and curate their news feeds. You can also re-share content, with these shares nicknamed “echoes” on Parler.
The site allows the publication of photos and GIFs, as well as videos from YouTube. However, most of the users we encountered during our time on the site posted almost exclusively links to external sites.
There are also a couple of unique aspects of the site. Profiles have a “Badge Selection” page, which suggests that there is a gamification element that rewards users for various actions on the site.
There is also a section of your profile that keeps track of “points”, “violations” and “points of violation”. This doesn’t seem to be explained anywhere on the site.
It can be imagined that it works similar to the points on the driver’s license. Maybe he plays in the equally mysterious community jury system.
Who is Parler for?
According to Parler’s onboarding pages and advertising information, the site is “here to help people with diverse life experiences and from all walks of life communicate on a platform that treats them as equals.”
Despite its claims of openness, diversity and inclusion, the site has a decidedly conservative vibe due in large part to its largely far-right user base. While most users on the platform could be cut from a similar fabric, there is nothing about the way the website is set up and run that necessarily privileges a particular group.
However, it should be noted that when we created a profile the first two notifications we received were welcome messages; one from Parler Support and one from a Team Trump account.
The site is intended for visitors within the United States, according to its privacy policy. This is described as an additional security measure, as user information is stored exclusively on servers in the United States.
Why do people flock to Parler?
The question remains: why do people flock to Parler? Parler’s popularity has increased , especially after the 2020 US election.
In general, it seems like people are flocking to Parler to post things that could be flagged on other social media platforms or banned. Meanwhile, others are protesting community guidelines and policies from traditional platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
Some users do it in the true spirit of Parler. They post opinions or news that sites like Facebook and Twitter would delete, or at least report a misinformation warning. They can also be drawn simply by having an alternative to Twitter or Facebook when it comes to issues such as data privacy.
Related: Free tests to learn how to detect false information
Unfortunately, some users (be they AI bots or human trolls) seem to be using Parler’s acceptance attitude and recent popularity as a spam platform. The interesting thing will be to see if the platform tightens the reins on these robots and trolls a bit for the sake of its authentic users.
While there’s a lot to be said for not kicking anyone out for things like political disagreements, the platform may need to flex its muscles a little more if it is to keep its real users happy. As bad as it can be to have voter information attached to your post, scrolling through obscene photo pages and pages to read the news could be worse.
Will you sign up for Parler?
Parler’s stated intentions to provide a “public square” for free speech are hardly an idea to be afraid of. Unfortunately, it could become an echo chamber for people to amplify claims and misinformation that wouldn’t be supported by other platforms.
If you enjoy discussing politics on Facebook and Twitter, Parler might be a place to find a community of strong-willed people who are open to honest speech. The site is free to explore. But until things are settled a little better, you may want to log in using a secure web browser.
