Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon, was unveiled on September 13, 2018.
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A group of Amazon employees is asking the company to stop offering cloud services to Parler, a social networking application popular with Trump supporters.
In a tweet on Saturday, the Amazon Employees for Climate Justice support group said that Amazon Web Services should “refuse Parler services until it eliminates posts that incite violence, including the presidential inauguration.” AWS provides cloud services to Parler, which hosts its website.
Amazon and Parler did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Pressure has risen for Amazon to no longer host Parler on AWS after other tech giants took action against the social app following the deadly riots in the US Chapter earlier this week. Google on Friday removed Parler from its Android app store, Google Play Store. BuzzFeed News reported Friday that Apple has threatened to remove Parler from the App Store.
Parler, which was launched in 2018, has emerged as a popular platform for President Trump’s allies in the past year, billing itself as an alternative to free speech on regular social media services such as Twitter and Facebook.
Screenshots of the Parler app viewed by CNBC show users posting references to firing squads, as well as calls to bring weapons to the presidential inauguration later this month. AWS’s acceptable use policy states that it prohibits customers from using its services “for any illegal, harmful, fraudulent, misdemeanor or offensive use”.
Amazon has previously severed ties with customers who violated its rules. In 2019, Amazon pulled the plug on a fundraising site used by Gab, a social networking site that addresses conservatives, after violating Amazon’s policies on ugly content.
The group of employees, AECJ, has had some success, making its demands heard in the past. In April last year, the group staged an “online outing” in protest of the company’s work practices. In addition, the group is widely credited with influencing Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos ‘decision to announce a comprehensive climate change plan after the group pressed the change at the company’s 2019 shareholders’ meeting.
– CNBC’s Kif Leswing contributed to this report.