By James Wellemeyer
NBC News
July 3, 2020
Last week, Sens. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Ted Cruz, R-Texas, both announced on Twitter that they were moving to a new social media platform.
“I’m proud to join @parler_app — a platform gets what free speech is all about — and I’m excited to be a part of it,” Cruz tweeted.
Many others followed suit. Parler, founded in August 2018, touts itself as an “unbiased” social media platform focused on “real user experiences and engagement.” In recent weeks, it has become a destination for conservatives who have voiced their disapproval of how mainstream platforms such as Facebook and Twitter moderate content.