Troy Smocks, a prisoner of the United States Capitol on January 6, has filed a $370 million lawsuit against Parler Inc. for allegedly breaking Texas social media law by banning users’ profiles based on their political opinions.
Texas Law Allegedly Violated: Parler Social Media Platform Risks Fine
Troy Smocks has filed a lawsuit against Parler, a now-defunct social media company, for violating the contentious Texas bill of rights, which forbids any social media companies from limiting users’ accounts because of their political viewpoints.
In the event that the plaintiff (Smocks) prevails in the complaint, Parler will be compelled to pay $370 million to him as compensation for blocking his account for posting text messages on the app that were meant to incite political violence.
The defendants in the action include wealthy right-wing benefactor Rebekah Mercer, former CEO John Matze, and Parler.
Troy Smocks asserts that he was subjected to the toughest legal action despite not being one of the rioters that physically attacked the US Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., on January 6, 2021.
Troy Smocks was detained after posting violent incitement on Parler’s website, and he later pled guilty to being connected to the attack on the US Capitol and making international threats.
Smocks was given a 14-month jail term by the federal court few months later. His appeal, however, was focused on his current legal difficulties brought on by his black color and unwavering support for Donald Trump.
The online rioter claimed in his guilty plea that when his account was blocked, Parler’s social network broke a contentious Texas statute.
According to a 2021 Texas rule, social media companies are not allowed to ban or limit users based on their political views.
The government is also forbidden by law from interfering with people’s freedom of speech, including that of companies.
It is thought that deleting a post or account curtails freedom of speech. Experts think that this might not matter in Troy Smock’s case though.
The Texas social media law specifically includes an exemption for speeches or posts that actively call for criminal behavior or make violent threats.
Smocks’ tirade on Parler’s social media app accomplished it. « Colonel007, » a nickname associated with mimicking police or military personnel, belonged to the rioter Parler.
He also published statements that encouraged violence and the use of firearms, which led other Parler users to do the same.
Smocks had over 17 convictions from the time he was 18 prior to the riot on January 6th, 2021, which is a negative addition that lessens his guilty plea.
But according to his lawsuit, his Parler account was banned because he backed Donald Trump.
Because he admitted to threatening many individuals, which is unlawful and in violation of Parler’s Terms of Service, Smocks’ case appears to be mainly lost. This gives Parler a strong justification to ban him regardless of his political views.
The case will be intriguing nonetheless since the ruling will change the course of Texas’s censorship statute.
It will be fascinating to watch how the court rules and how it will affect Smock’s imprisonment and Parler’s declining web presence should the rumored $370 million case against Parler proceed.
App Stores Failed to Evaluate Parler’s Insurrectionist Defense
Parler’s social media platform was one of several internet venues utilized for insurrectionist acts during the 2020 US Presidential Election, from violence to planned terrorist attacks.
In response to rising violent incitement activities on its platform, Parler, according to a Washington Post story, reported the matter to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for transparency and future legal action.
The FBI did not, however, take the necessary precautions to stop further breaches of the U.S. Capitol Building, as evidenced by GPS tags from users of Parler’s.
In addition, the incident resulted in legal repercussions and a temporary exclusion from the Apple and Google Play stores for failing to control user behavior on their respective platforms.
Kanye West’s Failed Attempt to Purchase Parler: Yet Another Sharp Decline of the Online Media Platform
The Parler app has had a very colorful recent history, but this lawsuit has brought it back into the limelight.
When his bid to purchase the now-failing site fell through, renowned artist Kanye West avoided harm.
After his Instagram and Twitter accounts were terminated due to antisemitic tweets targeting Jews in October 2020, West apparently began using an other social media network called Parler.
Not long after, Parler tweeted that it had made a preliminary deal to buy the platform with the Hip Hop musician.
The acquisition was primarily focused on Parler’s long-term objective of developing a community online where everyone may express their opinions without worrying about being suspended.
The messaging platform tweeted that the plan had been mutually terminated mere weeks after a deal was reached, despite the fact that the news generated a lot of excitement because to Kanye West’s undeniable impact.
Even while back-and-forth in the sale of businesses and platforms is typical in the business world, Parler’s inability to find a buyout could be a factor in the company’s dwindling appeal.
With established market giants like Twitter, Facebook, and WhatsApp, the messaging hub has already had difficulty competing. Due to a lack of funding for ongoing functionality, there might be more consequences and an anticipated closure.
