CNN’s coverage created a market where a broadcast network like Fox News could become successful.

Is Parler, a “free speech social network,” cutting the same niche in social media, capitalizing on conservatives’ opposition to increased screening and labeling on Twitter and Facebook?

Parler has a long way go to pop its bubble of like-minded users and compete for mainstream popularity, but it received a big bounce off Republicans’ election week frustrations. Parler became Apple’s most downloaded app (3.5 million new users) with its implementation of a community jury to monitor user content.

“We are seeing a massive explosion in growth because people trust that Parler is going to do the right thing,” Parler CEO John Matze said on Fox News’ Tucker Carlson Tonight. “So, as opposed to these other companies where moderation seems to be the norm, on Parler we have a community jury. This is where the people decide what is allowed and what’s not allowed.

“You are judged by your peers, just like our government allows for people,” he continued. “You are innocent before proven guilty, unlike these other platforms that are colluding to, I guess, find things to find you guilty for.”

Parler casts itself as a “free speech network” where “you get what you expect.” But tech analyst Benedict Evans called Parler “a weak clone of Twitter,” and activism group Avaaz’s campaign director Fadi Quran asserted to ABC News that Parler users will create problems when returning to Facebook and Twitter.

“It is not the first niche social platform to pop up, or to achieve a lot of downloads,” Stanford Technical Research Manager Renee DiResta told ABC News, noting that there has been no downturn in Twitter and Facebook users. “In fact, for Parler in particular, some very similar articles speculating about a mass exodus were written in June 2020.”

Ivanka Trump joined Parler on Tuesday. You next, Mr. President?

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