The appeal of free speech social media platforms like Parler

November 16, 2020

The Appeal of Free Speech Social Media Platforms Like Parler | Tech In :60 | GZERO Media

Watch as Nicholas Thompson, editor-in-chief of WIRED, explains what's going on in technology news:

What is Parler? Why are people moving off Facebook to new social sites?

Parler is like Twitter, except it was set up very specifically to make it so that the owners of the site, the people who run it, would not censor your speech, or put another way, would not take action to remove hateful or harmful speech. It is a free speech social media platform that is primarily used by people on the political right. Why are people moving off Facebook to new social sites? I don't think that many are. People talk about moving off, but to the extent they are, it's because they feel like the sites are censoring them.

The US government said the election was the most secure in American history. Do you agree? How did we get here after the failures of 2016?

It was quite secure. We don't know for sure how we'll evaluate it a year from now. The way we got there is we saw the catastrophe of 2016. A lot of smart, dedicated people took corrective action.

Iranian VP resigns as hardliners flex muscle

Iran's outgoing VP Mohammad Javad Zarif speaks during a news conference in Tehran back in 2019.

Nazanin Tabatabaee/WANA via Reuters

The administration of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian suffered a second blow in as many days with the resignation Monday of Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran’s vice president for strategic affairs. His departure comes after the impeachment on Sunday of another Pezeshkian ally, Economy Minister Abdolnaser Hemmati, over the decline of the Iranian rial, and is a sign that conservative forces are gaining ground within the current administration.

‘Anora’ wins big at the Oscars

Director Sean Baker, producers Alex Coco, and Samantha Quan, and cast and crew members win the Oscar for best picture for "Anora" during the Oscars show at the 97th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, on March 2, 2025.

REUTERS/Carlos Barria

It was a big night for independent filmmaking and a film with Russian themes at the Oscars on Sunday as “Anora” took home five Academy Awards, including best screenplay, best editing, best director, best actress, and best picture.

Europe steps up for Ukraine

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, France's President Emmanuel Macron, Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Antonio Costa, Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, Finland's President Alexander Stubb and other officials attend the European leaders' summit to discuss European security and Ukraine, at Lancaster House in London, Britain, on March 2, 2025.

NTB/Javad Parsa/via REUTERS

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, European leaders from France, Italy, Germany, and other nations, as well as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, spent the weekend in London crafting a European-led plan to bring peace to Ukraine.

Kurdish rebels declare ceasefire, but what’s the quid pro quo?

Syrian Kurds gather with flags as Turkey's jailed militant leader Abdullah Ocalan calls on his Kurdistan Workers Party to lay down its arms last week in Hasakah, Syria.

REUTERS/Orhan Qereman

After a 40-year conflict with Turkey that has killed 40,000 people, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, known as the PKK, declared a ceasefire on Saturday following a call from its leader, Abdullah Ocalan, to dissolve the group. Ocalan, imprisoned since 1999, called the move a “historical responsibility” – but one that brings no apparent concessions from Ankara.

Tumult as Romanians defend far-right leader

A man gestures toward security forces during an anti-government rally in Bucharest, Romania, March 1, 2025.

REUTERS/Andreea Campeanu

Tens of thousands of far-right demonstrators gathered in Bucharest on Saturday to protest the Romanian government’s decision to call off a second round of national elections, deeming it an assault on democracy. A rerun of the first round is now scheduled for May 4, but the protesters want the government to reinstate the original result and hold a run-off instead.

Are Russia and China trying to recruit disgruntled US federal employees?

The Kremlin

Photo by Serhii Tyaglovsky on Unsplash

China and Russia are reportedly looking to exploit US federal workforce cuts by targeting recently fired or at-risk federal employees in national security roles for recruitment, according to sources familiar with US intelligence. The quarries? Employees with top security clearances and information about America’s critical infrastructure and government operations.

The appeal of free speech social media platforms like Parler

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Iranian VP resigns as hardliners flex muscle

Venezuela ratchets up tensions with Guyana over Exxon Mobil megaproject

Venezuelan coast guard vessels entered Guyana’s waters near Exxon Mobil Corp.’s offshore drilling site over the weekend and transmitted a radio message claiming it was patrolling a “disputed international” maritime zone.

Russian analyst: Let the US and Russia settle the Ukraine war

On GZERO World with Ian Bremmer, former Russian colonel Dmitri Trenin argues that the fate of Ukraine should be determined primarily by the United States and Russia.

‘Anora’ wins big at the Oscars

It was a big night for independent filmmaking and a film with Russian themes at the Oscars on Sunday as “Anora” took home five Academy Awards, including best screenplay, best editing, best director, best actress, and best picture.

Europe steps up for Ukraine

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, European leaders from France, Italy, Germany, and other nations, as well as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, spent the weekend in London crafting a European-led plan to bring peace to Ukraine.

GZEROMEDIA

Kurdish rebels declare ceasefire, but what’s the quid pro quo?

Israel disrupts aid delivery to Gaza after ceasefire talks fail

Israeli Defense Forces blocked aid trucks from entering Gaza on Sunday, just one day after the first phase of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas expired, bringing negotiations over a permanent truce to a standstill.

Tumult as Romanians defend far-right leader

Hard Numbers: Japan battles big blaze, Trump firing quashed, Iran’s finance minister sacked, Majority of Republics see Russia as friendly, Blue Ghost lands on the moon

Are Russia and China trying to recruit disgruntled US federal employees?

The appeal of free speech social media platforms like Parler

GZEROMEDIA

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More from GZERO Media

Venezuelan coast guard vessels entered Guyana’s waters near Exxon Mobil Corp.’s offshore drilling site over the weekend and transmitted a radio message claiming it was patrolling a “disputed international” maritime zone.

On GZERO World with Ian Bremmer, former Russian colonel Dmitri Trenin argues that the fate of Ukraine should be determined primarily by the United States and Russia.

It was a big night for independent filmmaking and a film with Russian themes at the Oscars on Sunday as “Anora” took home five Academy Awards, including best screenplay, best editing, best director, best actress, and best picture.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, European leaders from France, Italy, Germany, and other nations, as well as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, spent the weekend in London crafting a European-led plan to bring peace to Ukraine.

GZEROMEDIA

Subscribe to GZERO Media's newsletter: Signal

Israeli Defense Forces blocked aid trucks from entering Gaza on Sunday, just one day after the first phase of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas expired, bringing negotiations over a permanent truce to a standstill.