Parler asked for an emergency order to reject Amazon’s shutdown of its account, saying it was the equivalent of “pulling the plug on a hospital patient on life support,” reported Politico.
On Monday, January 11, Parler hit back at Amazon, filing a lawsuit accusing the tech giant of violating antitrust law by cutting off the conservative-friendly social media site’s presence on the web.
In a complaint filed in federal court in Washington state, Parler claimed that Amazon’s decision was “motivated by political animus” and designed to reduce competition to the benefit of Twitter, which is also a customer of the online retailer’s Amazon Web Services division.
Parler asked for an emergency order to reject Amazon’s shutdown of its account, saying it was the equivalent of “pulling the plug on a hospital patient on life support.”
Amazon “will kill Parler’s business — at the very time it is set to skyrocket,” the complaint stated.
Google and Apple also kicked Parler’s app from their respective app stores over the weekend, on similar grounds.
Parler has become a popular alternative to Twitter and Facebook as those firms have cracked down on content posted by President Donald Trump and others. Last year, about 10 million people downloaded Parler, according to mobile app analytics company Sensor Tower, with about 80% of those in the United States.
Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.
Featured News
DOJ and FTC Introduce Website for Reporting Anti-Competitive Healthcare Practices
Apr 18, 2024 by
CPI
US Congress Advances Legislation to Compel TikTok Sale
Apr 18, 2024 by
CPI
UK Financial Sector Advocates Enhanced Regulatory Accountability
Apr 18, 2024 by
CPI
Google and All 50 States Defend $700 Million Consumer Settlement
Apr 18, 2024 by
CPI
Colorado Enacts First Law to Protect Consumer Brainwave Data
Apr 18, 2024 by
CPI
Antitrust Mix by CPI
Antitrust Chronicle® – China Edition – Year of the Dragon
Apr 16, 2024 by
CPI
Review Logic and Rules for Concentrations of Undertakings that Do Not Meet the Standard of Notification
Apr 16, 2024 by
CPI
China’s Review of Semiconductor Transactions
Apr 16, 2024 by
CPI
Key Challenges and Tips for Merger Control Filing in China for Listed Companies
Apr 16, 2024 by
CPI
Key Point Review: China SPC Antitrust Judgments in 2023
Apr 16, 2024 by
CPI