Parler CEO says he’s been terminated by the company’s board

(NewsNation Now) — Parler CEO John Matze says he’s been terminated by the social media company’s board.

The announcement was made on Matze’s LinkedIn account Wednesday afternoon. He confirmed the move in a text message to Reuters.

Parler became popular with right-wing users but virtually vanished after the U.S. Capitol riot on Jan. 6. Users flocked to Parler, along with other apps such as Telegram and social site Gab, citing a more aggressive policing of comments on mainstream platforms such as Twitter Inc and Facebook Inc, which intensified after the riot.

Matze previously told news outlets the social media company had been dropped by nearly all of its business alliances after Amazon, Apple and Google ended their agreements with the social media service.

In his LinkedIn post which thanked Parler employees, users and supporters, Matze said, “This is not a goodbye. Just a so long for now.”

Democratic Rep. Carolyn Maloney, chair of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, previously requested that the FBI conduct an investigation into the social media platform and its role in the attack on the Capitol.

Parler, which was founded in 2018, has styled itself as a “free speech-driven” space. The app has largely attracted U.S. conservatives who disagree with rules around content on social media sites like Facebook Inc and Twitter Inc

NewsNation reached out to Parler for comment; they did not immediately respond.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.