Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

Rambler wrote

Not sure why they wouldn't just host it in the USA. Certainly there are datacenters or providers operating enough private rack space in one who'd take them on. They'd be a pretty big client and the media and the social just mob will forget about them eventually.

1

riddler wrote

I suspect they went with the cheapest alternative that would get them back online. Having various services hosted across many different countries only helps with the freedom of information.

2

Rambler wrote

I think I read that they were paying AWS upwards of $300,000/mo for services.

Definitely a much larger operation than I had previously though. A client that big should have had providers, globally, drooling over the idea of a big sale.

1

riddler wrote

$300,000/mo

I find it hard to believe they could be generating that much revenue legitimately.

I think they were a political hot potato. Hosting providers likely don't want to risk their payment processors.

2

txt wrote

It only gives Russia more control. Pretty weird. Doesn't the first amendment exist?

1

Rambler wrote

Doesn't the first amendment exist?

Yeah, but too many companies are afraid to stand up for it because they don't want to deal with the backlash from a very vocal minority it appears.

From what I've seen of Parler it's just republican talking points and bible quotes. I've seen more vile content on reddit and Facebook.

1

txt wrote

That is true. I don't think Putin is a fan of free speech though.

1

chaomancy wrote

He is mainly concerned with the speech of Russian citizens, especially if they are being critical of himself or the Russian government. If this website became very popular with anti-Putin activists in Russia, maybe he would take issue with it. But even then, he could just block it at the ISP level in Russia rather than try to get it shut down for everyone. That appears to be the main form of online censorship in Russia. https://news.engin.umich.edu/2019/11/how-russias-online-censorship-could-jeopardize-internet-freedom-worldwide/

I don't he think minds it much if people in other countries criticize Russia online. If anything, he might like it when Americans are excessively critical of Russia because that fuels division in the US. Liberals talk a lot about Russia being a threat and Conservatives are sick of hearing "Russia, Russia, Russia".

Russia's preference for instability in the US is part of what makes them a safe host for a mostly English speaking free speech site. They'd be happy if some kind of civil war and/or revolutionary war happens here, so they would be fine with Americans calling for violence against politicians or using racial slurs. That sort of speech is the main kind that has gotten free speech platforms in trouble so far.

1

mr_krabs wrote

If you were Putin, you probably wouldn't care about a few thousand boomers from another country talking in circles about how some messiah named Q is going to come through "any day now" and take out a bunch of pedophiles or whatever crazy shit they convinced themselves to believe in.

You'd probably be more worried about being able to choose the next guy who controls Belarus or something instead

1