BACK TO YOU.
MARIA: ALL RIGHT, CHERYL.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
SOCIAL MEDIA APP PARLER IS
RETURNING TO THE APPLE APP STORE
AND RETURNED LAST MONTH
FOLLOWING REMOVAL EARLIER THIS
YEAR.
PARLOR WAS BOOTED OFF BOTH APPLE
AND GOOGLE’S APP MARKETPLACES
OVER WHAT THAT HE IS COMPANIES
SAID PARLER DIDN’T TAKE STEPS TO
REMOVE HARMFUL CONTENT IN THE
WAKE OF THE CAPITOL RIOTS AND
WENT DARK AFTER CLOUD SERVICES
PULLED PUG AS WELL.
THE PLATFORM RETURNED TO THE APP
STORE AND JOINING US RIGHT NOW
IS THE NEW CEO OF PARLER GEORGE
FARMER.
WELCOME, THANKS VERY MUCH FOR
BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU, MARIA.
MARIA: LET’S TALK ABOUT HOW
PARLER CHANGED FIRST, GEORGE.
WHEN YOU WERE BOOTED OFF THE
APPLE AND GOOGLE SITES, TELL ME
WHAT YOU DID TO GET THE WEBSITE
BACK ONLINE?
WHAT CHANGES DID YOU MAKE,
GEORGE?
>> WE HAD TWO AREAS THAT WE
ATTACKED WHEN WE WERE DOING IN
THE WILDERNESS WHEN WE DESCRIBE
IT.
FIRST TECHNOLOGICAL REBUILD,
TECHNOLOGICAL REBUILD THAT
INCLUDES THE BACK END AND THE
FRONT END OF THE APP.
EVERYTHING THAT YOU ARE USING
NOW IN TERMS OF ENGAGEMENT WITH
THE SITE IS COMPLETELY NEW.
THE SECONDARY THAT WE REALLY
FOCUSED ON WAS NEGOTIATIONS TO
GET BACK IN THE APP STORE WITH
APPLE AND THAT BASICALLY WAS A
PRODUCTIVE DISCUSSION WE HAD
WITH THEM OVER THE COURSE OF
SEVERAL MONTHS AND WE WERE ABLE
TO CHANGE THINGS WHICH MADE IT
BASICALLY WITH THEM AND IMPROVED
OUR MODERATION FEATURES AND WE
USED NEW MODERATION POLICY
SEARCHES WHEN YOU PUT STUFF ON
PARLER AND WERE ABLE TO GET BACK
IN THE APP STORE AND THE
TECHNOLOGICAL REBUILD BUT THE
FRONT END AND BACK END WERE BOTH
RE-BUILT WHICH IS A DIFFICULT
PROCESS TO UNDERTAKE IN SHORT
AMOUNT OF TIME BUT WE WERE ABLE
TO SUCCEED ON THAT.
MARIA: IT SURE IS.
CONGRATULATIONS ON THAT.
BUT GEORGE, YOU HAD 20 MILLION
USERS BEFORE YOU WERE TAKEN
DOWN.
YOU KNOW, AND THEN THE COMPANY
GOES DARK.
IT WAS A REAL EXAMPLE AND
REALISTIC OUTCOME THAT SHOWED
HOW CLOSELY PARLER IS TO NEEDING
THESE FIRMS, WHETHER IT’D BE THE
APPLE APP STORE, AMAZON.
IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU CAN
DO TO CREATE MORE RESILIENCY SO
YOU’RE NOT SO RELIANT ON THE
SOCIAL MEDIA GIANTS WHO PRETTY
MUCH GOT TOGETHER, COLLUDED
AGAINST YOU?
>> YEAH.
I MEAN, IT WAS AN INCREDIBLE 24
HOURS EARLIER THIS YEAR WHEN WE
WITNESSED THE COLLUSION.
YES, ABSOLUTELY.
THAT’S PART OF THE PROBLEM.
PART OF THE PROBLEM IS THAT IS
MANY VENDERS THAT ARE USED BY
TECHNOLOGY FIRMS BASED IN
CALIFORNIA AND BASED IN WOKE
CORPORATE CALIFORNIA AND THAT
REALLY MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO
WORK IF YOU’RE A FREE-SPEECH
MINDED PLATFORM WHICH IS EXACTLY
WHAT WE ARE.
THAT PROBLEM BECOMES EVEN MORE
OF A PROBLEM WHEN YOU TRY TO USE
-- IT’S NOT JUST THE FRONT END
AND DATABASES AND CLOUDS, IT’S
ALSO THINGS LIKE PAYMENT
PROCESSING.
IT’S THINGS LIKE ADVERTISING
NETWORKS.
THE WHOLE TECHNOLOGICAL
INFRASTRUCTURE IS BASED IN WOKE
CORPORATE AMERICA AND THAT MAKES
IT DIFFICULT IF YOU’RE A
FREE-SPEECH ORIENTED PLATFORM.
WE HAVE TAKEN A LOT OF STEPS TO
REINFORCE OUR PLATFORM AND TO
MOVE AWAY FROM BEING FOCUSED OR
USING ANY THIRD-PARTY PROVIDERS
WHICH IDEOLOGICAL MIGHT DISAGREE
BEING A FREE SPEECH-MINDED
PLATFORM.
IT’S NOT EASY TO TRY AND USE
BASICALLY EVERYTHING IN-HOUSE OR
BUILT IT FROM SCRATCH WHICH IS
WHAT WE HAVE DONE.
THERE’S A REAL DIFFICULTY HERE
ACROSS AMERICA.
ALL FIRMS WHICH ARE USING THESE
PLATFORMS COULD GET DEPLATFORMED
AT ANY POINT IF -- IF THEY THINK
THAT YOUR IDEOLOGICAL ALIGNMENT
DOESN’T ALIGN WITH THEIRS
BECAUSE AT ANY POINT YOU CAN BE
SWITCHED OFF.
WE’VE TAKEN STEPS TO REINFORCE
THAT AND OTHER FIRMS SHOULD
THINK ABOUT DOING THE SAME.
MARIA: GEORGE, HOW WILL YOU
ENSURE THAT YOU WILL CONTINUE
WITH FREE SPEECH UNABATED?
YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WERE VERY
CONCERNED BECAUSE OVER THE LAST
YEAR WE HAVE SEEN SOCIAL MEDIA
DECIDE THAT THEY ARE THE
ARBITERS OF TRUTH.
FACEBOOK TALKING WITH, YOU KNOW,
ANTHONY FAUCI ABOUT WHAT TO
PRINT AND WHAT NOT TO PRINT
REGARDING THE ORIGINS OF COVID.
YOU CAN GO BACK TO THE RUSSIA
HOAX, THE THINGS THAT WERE
CENSORED WERE ACTUALLY TRUE.
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO ENSURE THAT
USERS KNOW THAT YOU ARE MARRIED
TO THE TRUTH AND YOU WILL BE
ENSURING THAT YOU HAVE THIS FREE
SPEECH AS THE NUMBER 1 PRIORITY
HERE AT PARLER?
>> YEAH.
WE -- I MEAN, THAT’S -- YOU
RAISED A VERY GOOD POINT THAT IN
THE LAST YEAR WE HAVE SEEN 3,
KIND OF MAJOR AREAS FROM THE
MAINSTREAM MEDIA WHERE WE
CHALLENGE THE NARRATIVE AND AT
THE END LOOKS LIKE IT BEING
CORRECT AND OBVIOUSLY COVID
BEING ONE OF THE MAIN ONES.
FREE SPEECH IS WRITTEN IN INTO
THE DNA OF PARLER.
IT’S OUR CORPORATE POLICY THAT
WE DO NOT SELL YOUR DATA AND
MOST FIRMS OUT THERE WILL
HAPPILY SELL YOUR DATA AND
HAPPILY EXCHANGE IT FOR A CASH
RETURN.
PARLER NEVER DOES THAT.
PARLER NEVER SELLS YOUR DATA.
WE ARE FOCUSED ON PRIVACY AND
CONTENT MODERATION IS FOCUSED
AROUND THE FIRST AMENDMENT.
ANYTHING ALLOWED UNDER THE FIRST
AMENDMENT OR GUIDELINES, YOU’RE
ALLOWED TO STAY IN THE PLATFORM.
YOU’RE ALLOWED TO STILL POST IT
AND THE WHOLE POINT ABOUT PARLER
IS THAT IT IS A FREE-SPEECH
FOCUSED PLATFORM.
IT’S WRITTEN IN THE DNA.
THE PEOPLE WHO WORK IN THE
COMPANY HAVE A HUGE LIBERTARIAN
AND FREE-SPEECH SPOKEN MINDSET
AND THAT COMES THROUGH EVERY DAY
AND DRIVEN TO SOME EXTENT BY ME
AS WELL AS CEO AND THE PEOPLE
WHO BACK THE ORGANIZATION.
AT EVERY POINT OF THIS BUSINESS,
WHETHER IT’S EMPLOYEES, MYSELF,
THE FOUNDERS, INVESTORS, THE
WHOLE POINT OF PARLER IS THAT
THE DNA OF THIS BUSINESS IS
AROUND FREE SPEECH AND WRITTEN
INTO CORPORATE DOCUMENTS.
MARIA: GEORGE, IT TAKES
TREMENDOUS COURAGE AND
LEADERSHIP TO GO AGAINST THE
REALLY INCREDIBLE WOKE CULTURE
THAT IS TAKING HOLD HERE AND YOU
WERE CANDIDATE OF UK BREXIT
PARTY AND THAT WAS ANOTHER WAVE
OF PUSHBACK, TELL ME ABOUT THAT
AND HOW IT COMPARES TO WHAT YOU
SEE HERE AND THEN I WANT TO GET
YOUR TAKE ON THE EXPENSE OF IT
ALL BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THE
EXPENSES ARE GOING TO RISE AS
YOU CONTINUE TO MAKE CHANGES
HERE AT PARLER.
DO YOU NEED TO MAKE
ACQUISITIONS, DO YOU NEED TO GET
BIGGER IN TERMS OF SCALE TO BE
ABLE TO TAKE ON THESE KIND OF
EXPENSE THAT IT WILL REQUIRE?
>> SURE.
WE ARE GOING TO YOUR FIRST
QUESTION.
A FIGHT THAT IS HAPPENING ACROSS
THE WESTERN WORLD.
THERE’S NOT ONE COUNTRY THAT I
CAN THINK OF THAT SPEAKS ENGLISH
IN THE WESTERN WORLD AND IT’S
IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND AND
FIGHT FOR OUR IDEALS.
WE ARE THE FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE
WHEN IT COMES TO -- WHEN IT
COMES TO FREE SPEECH AND THE
REASON BEING BECAUSE SO MUCH
SPEECH IS BEING CONDUCTED
THROUGH THE INTERNET.
YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT’S YOUR
ENGAGEMENT WITH, YOU KNOW, MAJOR
TECH PLATFORMS SUCH AS FACEBOOK,
TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, THIS IS --
THOSE ARE THE PLATFORMS THAT ARE
ACTIVELY LOOKING TO CENSOR YOU.
WE ARE THE PLATFORM THAT OFFERS
DIFFERENTIATION IN SERVICE.
THERE’S PLENTY OF DEMAND OUT
THERE.
THERE’S NOT MUCH SUPPLY.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, THE BREXIT
FIGHT, THE U.S. FIGHT RIGHT NOW,
IDEOLOGICALLY FREE SPEECH FIGHT
WHICH WE ARE SEEING ACROSS THE
WESTERN WORLD, THIS IS THE SAME
FIGHT, IT’S THE SAME FIGHT SINCE
DAY ONE.
IT’S THE GOOD-OLD FREE SPEECH
MANIFESTO VERSUS THOSE WHO WANT
TO CENSOR SPEECH.
IT’S TAKING PLACE IN BOTH OF THE
ATLANTIC.
SORRY, MARIA.
MARIA: NO.
GO AHEAD.
>> IN TERMS OF EXPENSE, YOU
KNOW, IT IS EXPENSIVE.
THERE’S ABSOLUTELY NO DOUBT
ABOUT IT.
OUR LEGAL HAS BEEN EYE-WATERING,
I WOULD SAY.
IT’S JUST ONE OF THESE THINGS
WHERE AT THE MOMENT THE
COMPANIES CLEARLY HAD A
DIFFICULT YEAR.
THERE’S NO DOUBT ABOUT IT.
WE SPENT SEVERAL, THERE WAS A
HUGE AMOUNT OF RESTRUCTURING
CORPORATE WISE WE NEED TO DO
WHICH HAS NOW BEEN DONE AND
THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS VERY
PAINFUL. WE ARE HOPING OBVIOUSLY FROM
WE ARE HOPING OBVIOUSLY FROM
HERE WE CAN BUILD REVENUE AND
THAT WOULD ALLEVIATE THE COST
BURDEN WHICH HAS BEEN PLACED ON
US THIS YEAR BECAUSE OF THE
LEGAL SHENANIGANS WE HAD TO GO
THROUGH.
MARIA: GEORGE, REAL QUICK BEFORE
YOU GO ON THE REGULATORY FRONT,
WE SEE THAT A FEDERAL JUDGE
THROWS OUT THE FTC ANTITRUST
LAWSUIT AGAINST FACEBOOK, YOUR
THOUGHTS ON WHAT’S TO COME ON
THE REGULATORY FRONT FOR SOCIAL
MEDIA?
>> YEAH, I MEAN, THAT’S A GREAT
QUESTION AND THAT’S A VERY
DIFFICULT ONE TO ANSWER.
I MEAN, THERE ARE NUMEROUS SUITS
GOING ON RIGHT NOW ACROSS THE
BOARD AGAINST FACEBOOK, TWITTER
AND, YOU KNOW, OTHER SOCIAL
MEDIA COMPANIES.
THAT IS THE COLD FACE OF THE
LITIGATION, THE LEGISLATION SIDE
OF THINGS.
IT’S VERY, VERY IMPORTANT RIGHT
NOW THAT WE ENGAGE WITH THESE
MONOPOLISTIC COMPANIES OUT THERE
WHICH BASICALLY CONTROL AND
NUMEROUS SUITS THAT ARE GOING
ON.
SOME ARE MORE INTERESTING THAN
OTHERS.
A LOT OF ANTITRUST LEGISLATION
IS COMING TO PLAY AND THAT’S
GOING TO BE AN AREA THAT WE
REALLY NEED TO FIGHT THEM ON.
WE ARE INVOLVED IN VARIOUS
LITIGATION PIECES AS WELL JUST
TO BE CLEAR.
MARIA: GEORGE, WE WILL BE
WATCHING THE DEVELOPMENTS,
THANKS VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US
TODAY.
CONGRATULATIONS ON THE JOB AND
GETTING PARLER BACK ONLINE.