Carolyn Maloney, the chair of the House Oversight Committee has requested that the FBI conduct an investigation into Parler. As reported by Engadget, the requested investigation by the FBI will focus on the links Parler has to Russi and its involvement in the January 6 violence.
This news is probably the last thing that Parler wants to hear after an already devastating month for the platform. It began with the Apple and Google Stores banning the platform. There have also been reports of Amazon refusing to host the platform and even its own lawyers abounding the company.
This all follows the shocking violence seen when Donald Trump supporters marched on the Capitol on January 6. Trump’s actions surrounding the events saw him banned from Twitter and other social media platforms. This prompted a lengthy statement from Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey addressing the issue.
Parler is a social media platform frequented by a lot of right-wing supporters. This is due to its minimal moderation policies making it a hub for misinformation and graphic content. Now it looks like the platform could find itself in some further hot water for its actions.
Potential FBI investigation into Parler following House request
FBI Director Christopher Wray has received a request for the FBI to investigate the social media platform, Parler. The request asks for a “comprehensive investigation of the January 6 assault on the Capitol”.
The letter from Maloney also notes that Parler should be investigated as a “potential conduit for foreign governments who may be financing civil unrest in the United States”.
The letter cites that several Parler users made violent threats in the days leading up to January 6. It also notes that investigations into Parler uses have “traced back to Russian disinformation campaigns”.
This is not the first time a member of Congress has raised questions about Parler. Senator Mark Warner previously sent a letter to Parler asking them to preserve evidence following an attack.
An investigation by the FBI would be much more significant than anything that has come before. Given the company is already under huge pressure following its troubles with Amazon, Google and Apple it is hard to see how the company comes back from this.
A version of the Parler site has re-emerged this week. CEO John Matze has stated that he wants Parler to return to normal functionally by the end of January. However, with all these issues who knows what the future may hold for the social media platform.