Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Parler CEO slams social media for giving 'free rein' to Middle East terrorist groups

Parler CEO slams social media for giving 'free rein' to Middle East terrorist groups

George Farmer has no qualms about banning Taliban from his platform

Parler CEO George Farmer slammed social media for giving "free rein" to Middle East terrorist groups, saying on Wednesday that he has no qualms about banning the Taliban from his platform.

He noted on "Mornings with Maria" on Wednesday that other social media platforms have directly censored a sitting U.S. president, but decided not to censor terrorist groups based in the Middle East.

"You've got Trump being labeled as a dictator in the United States and then of course when it comes to a real dictator in the Far East or when it comes to a real terrorist group out in the Middle East, you have social media giving free rein," Farmer told host Maria Bartiromo.

"And yet the alleged dictator in America, Donald Trump, who was painted as this great monster by social media, can't express himself on social media."

Earlier this year, Twitter said that even if former President Trump will run for office again, he would not regain access to his account, and maintained that his suspension from the platform is "permanent."

On Jan. 8, Twitter announced on its blog that Trump’s account, which had over 80 million followers, was permanently suspended. The reasoning was that keeping the @realDonaldTrump account active would increase the risk of "further incitement of violence."

The decision came after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Twitter pointed to a tweet from the former president on Jan. 8 that read: "The 75,000,000 great American Patriots who voted for me, AMERICA FIRST, and MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, will have a GIANT VOICE long into the future. They will not be disrespected or treated unfairly in any way, shape or form!"

For years, before and during his presidency, Trump used Twitter to communicate directly to the American people — bypassing the media.

Facebook and Instagram also permanently blocked Trump from their platform in the wake of the Capitol riot.


In June, Facebook upheld its suspension of Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts for two years before it will reassess, citing his "praise for people who engaged in violence."

Farmer told Bartiromo on Wednesday that Trump "would be welcome on Parler," noting that the company had been discussing the prospect with the former president and that he is under the impression Trump is "interested."

"We welcome him with open arms if he would like of to join us," Farmer said.

Last week, Twitter’s standards were called into question after users pointed out that a key Taliban spokesman has been using the platform to give updates about the group’s advance within the country while former President Trump’s account remains permanently suspended.

Zabihullah Mujahid’s account is not verified, but has 358,000 followers and is regularly cited by major news outlets. He tweeted an update on "military units" entering Kabul last week and wrote that their "advance is continuing normally."

Twitter and Facebook did not immediately respond to FOX Business’ request for comment.

The Taliban swept into Afghanistan’s capital last week after the government collapsed and the embattled president joined an exodus of his fellow citizens and foreigners, signaling the end of a costly two-decade U.S. campaign to remake the country.

The Taliban is known for carrying out attacks that have killed thousands of civilians in the country. The Taliban, from 1996 to 2001, barred women from receiving educations or leaving a house without a male relative, Reuters reported.

The Taliban insisted that their fighters would not enter people’s homes or interfere with businesses and said they would offer "amnesty" to those who worked with the Afghan government or foreign forces.

But there have been reports of revenge killings and other brutal tactics in areas of the country the Taliban have seized in recent days.

Speaking with Bartiromo on Wednesday, Farmer stressed that banning terrorist groups to post on his platform is "a very simple argument."

"I mean, should we give a voice to active terrorist groups? No," Farmer said.

"It’s amazing that social media, which directly censors sitting presidents, decides to not censor terrorist groups based in the Middle East," he added sarcastically.

"I find it remarkable that we are having this debate in the first place," he went on to say during the interview.

Farmer stressed that his company has taken "a strong policy against" allowing terrorist groups based in the Middle East to post on Parler.

He said it’s "remarkable" that the president of Iran and the Taliban have had accounts "for so long."

"All of these Middle Eastern-based groups, they seem to have been able to get free rein on social media," Farmer stressed.

After more than a month offline, Parler, which had more than 20 million users and was first launched in August 2018, relaunched in February using a new web hosting service, the company announced.

Last month, Amazon Web Services decided to suspend the upstart social media platform for failure to moderate "egregious content" related to the Capitol riot. The move took the site offline, until Parler could find another hosting service.

Apple and Google previously suspended Parler from its app stores, as liberals and many media pundits championed the move to de-platform the social media app.

Last week Reuters reported, citing four current and former law enforcement officials, that the FBI found "scant evidence" that the January attack on the U.S. Capitol was the result of an organized plan to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

Farmer maintained on Wednesday that he believes "we were unfairly taken down at the time."

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
EU Majority Demands Hungary Reverse Anti-LGBTQ+ Laws
Top Hotel Picks for 2025 Stays in Budapest Revealed
Iron Maiden Unveils 2025 Tour Setlist in Budapest
Chinese Film Week Opens in Budapest to Promote Cultural Exchange
Budapest Airport Launches Direct Flights to Shymkent
Von der Leyen Denies Urging EU Officials to Skip Budapest Pride
Alcaraz and Sinner Advance with Convincing Wins at Roland Garros
EU Ministers Lack Consensus on Sanctioning Hungary Over Rule of Law
EU Nations Urge Action Against Hungary's Pride Parade Ban
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
U.S. Considers Withdrawing Troops from Europe
Russia Deploys Motorbike Squads in Ukraine Conflict
Critics Accuse European Court of Human Rights of Overreach
Spain Proposes 100% Tax on Non-EU Holiday Home Purchases
German Intelligence Labels AfD as Far-Right Extremist
Geert Wilders Threatens Dutch Coalition Over Migration Policy
Hungary Faces Multiple Challenges Amid EU Tensions and Political Shifts
Denmark Increases Retirement Age to 70, Setting a European Precedent
Any trade deal with US must be based on respect not threats', says EU commissioner
UK Leads in Remote Work Adoption, Averaging 1.8 Days a Week
Thirteen Killed in Russian Attacks Across Ukraine
High-Profile Incidents and Political Developments Dominate Global News
Netanyahu Accuses Western Leaders of 'Emboldening Hamas'
Ukraine and Russia Conduct Largest Prisoner Exchange of the War
×