2021-01-11 Parler "Hacked"

[Chance]

Gizmodo is starting to dig through the data:

...GPS coordinates taken from 618 Parler videos analyzed by Gizmodo has already been sought after by FBI as part of a sweeping nationwide search for potential suspects, at least 20 of whom are already in custody.

....

Gizmodo has mapped nearly 70,000 geo-located Parler posts and on Tuesday isolated hundreds published on January 6 near the Capitol where a mob of pro-Trump supporters had hoped to overturn a democratic election and keep their president in power. The data shows Parler users posting all throughout the day, documenting their march from the National Mall to Capitol Hill where the violent insurrection ensued.

I'm kind of wondering if this scrape didn't make law enforcement's job more difficult. Cops could have gotten access to all of this data anyways, and since Parler's system didn't actually delete anything when users requested it, anything incriminating would still be on the system. This news might be telling some of the users who thought Parler was anonymous and their identities were safe that it wasn't and they're not.

[Chance]

From ArsTechnica:

Parler is about to be re-platformed.

The app for the “free speech” social media company will be available once again on Apple’s App Store. Apple reinstated Parler on April 14, according to a letter from Apple to Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.), which was made public today. Once Parler releases an updated app, iOS users will be able to download it once more.

....

Google is reportedly open to allowing Parler back into the Google Play Store. In a statement made to Android Police following Apple's reinstatement of the Parler app, the company said, "Parler is welcome back in the Play store once it submits an app that complies with our policies."

It'll be interesting to see how many users return.