What’s Next for Parler? Ask the Porn Industry.
The ‘free speech’ site isn’t the first to lose its web hosting. Here’s how the adult industry works around similar sanctions.
In the wake of the Capitol riots last week, technology companies cracked down on Parler, a self-proclaimed “free speech” social media network, saying it failed to take down calls for violence. These measures extended further than the social media content warnings and suspensions that are usually at the heart of debates over online moderation. Instead, they aimed to take away the infrastructure that Parler needs to operate. First, the app was booted from the iOS and Google Play app stores. Then, Amazon dealt a knockout blow, rendering Parler inaccessible after removing the site from their web servers. And Parler wasn’t the only right-wing institution to face a loss of core infrastructure: That same week, payment processor Stripe announced it was severing ties with the Trump campaign.
This approach to regulating the internet mirrors one that tech companies have been engaged in for years — against the adult industry. By looking at how porn sites, cam show platforms, and sex toy retailers have responded to losing payment processors and hosting, we can get a sense of what might be next for Parler.
