- The Washington Times - Wednesday, February 3, 2021

The social media platform Parler has ousted John Matze from his position as CEO, according to Mr. Matze

Parler enjoyed a meteoric rise after the 2020 election, only to effectively have the plug pulled on its operations in 2021.

Late last year, Parler was flooded with new users who were disgruntled by content restrictions imposed by other platforms such as Twitter and Facebook.

But in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol and concerns that Parler would permit dangerous content that could cause future violence, Amazon Web Services took Parler offline. Apple and Google also removed Parler’s app from their app stores. Parler remains largely offline, with its website stating it is experiencing “technical difficulties.”

Amid reports saying Parler’s board had fired him, Mr. Matze told The Washington Times he was terminated from his position as CEO. 

Parler did not immediately respond to request for comment. 

In a memo to Parler employees obtained by Fox News, Mr. Matze said he did not participate in the board’s decision to remove him and said he will soon be looking for new opportunities. 

• Ryan Lovelace can be reached at rlovelace@washingtontimes.com.

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