In 2015 and 2016, I watched in abject horror as Macedonian teenagers, state actors, and domestic Shopify grifters fed libel and lies into major social media platforms. These actors did so with intent to stoke division, conflict, and depravity among Americans. It worked. In the absence of responsible leadership from companies such as Facebook and Twitter, truth was freely distorted, political cults were formed, and tribal ad hominem suddenly became America's favorite sport.
I've now seen the same type of data – or worse – available on Parler. It frequently includes blatant calls for violence, libel, depraved lies, and information that encourages people to harm themselves or others. While much of this may be legal, Parler is freely choosing to associate with the publishers of this data. This is hurting America. People need tools to interpret this data so additional harm can be avoided.
I have undertaken an act of public First Amendment protected speech: I've concisely documented the full engineering design and implementation of Parler. I've engaged in this act of speech while abiding by all applicable laws, terms of service, and technical access controls. This task required one week, and required only personal knowledge and third-party documentation.
Happy Independence Day. May freedom of speech and all its complex implications continue to reign supreme, and may God continue to bless the United States of America.