Number of the Day
Parler’s Right-Wing Post-Election Boom, by the Numbers
The Mercer-backed “free speech–focused” social network has seen its popularity soar during the election
10 million: That’s how many people have signed up to use the newish alternative social media platform Parler as of Monday. Users have doubled over the past week, according to the Wall Street Journal. (It was also the top-ranked download in the news category, and the 10th-ranked free app overall in Apple’s App Store, according to App Annie, which tracks app downloads.)
Although it was founded in 2018, Parler has attracted widespread interest in the aftermath of the presidential election for its reputation as a safe space for conservatives to say whatever they please, free from the mainstream social media platforms’ efforts to police misinformation. Right-leaning media stars have led the charge recently, setting up on Parler and exhorting fans to follow them there. Meanwhile, the platform has also reportedly become a home for some anti-Semitic and white supremacist rhetoric, as well as plenty of wild-eyed conspiracy theories.
