Amazon Says Parler Systematically Unwilling To Remove Violent Content

Before Amazon took down Parler, the messaging app favored by far-right activists, Amazon says it flagged dozens of instance of violent and hateful posts that Parler "systematically failed" to remove.

The two companies are facing off in court after Amazon's decision to stop hosting Parler took the website offline on Monday. Parler remained unavailable on Wednesday morning. Its app was also blocked by Google and Apple.

Parler has sued Amazon Web Services, asking a federal judge in Seattle to issue a temporary restraining order to undo that. Parler's lawsuit alleges breach of contract and antitrust violations and compares its treatment with that of its competitor Twitter.

In a new filing, Amazon argues it was Parler that failed to abide by Amazon's terms of service, allowing hateful content to multiply on its platform even after last week's attack on the U.S. Capitol.

"This case is about Parler's demonstrated unwillingness and inability to remove from the servers of Amazon Web Services ... content that threatens the public safety, such as by inciting and planning the rape, torture, and assassination of named public officials and private citizens," Amazon wrote to the court.