Parler Users Are Gathering on Facebook to Complain About Parler

‘Seeming more like social solitude than social networking so far’

Last month, supporters of President Donald Trump announced their exodus from Facebook to “free speech” platforms such as Parler and MeWe after Facebook banned a series of groups for promoting election fraud conspiracy theories. Within a week, Parler became the most downloaded app on Apple and Android devices, and its user base doubled to more than 10 million members, the company said.

But cutting the Facebook cord appears easier said than done, and fledgling Parler users are gathering in Facebook groups dedicated to the act of abandoning Facebook. There, users are complaining about Parler’s confusing interface and the loneliness of a platform that none of their friends and family use.

Thousands of supposed Parler converts have joined groups like “Parler Invite Group” and “Who is moving to Parler,” OneZero found. These were created as spaces for people to share their Parler usernames, find new acquaintances, and bemoan the moderation of far-right content on Facebook. (Some of the groups appeared before the November banning of “Stop the Steal” groups, reflecting how Parler has been courting conservatives for years.)

“I’ve talked to so many that…