Study: Parler users were more likely veterans or in military

Sensor Tower, a company that tracks app downloads on mobile phones, found that on Jan 8, Parler downloads had increased 280% on Apple iPhones and 355% on Google Android phones. — Bloomberg

The now-silenced Parler app that appeared to have played a key role in mobilising the Trump-inspired mob that attacked the US Capitol on Jan 6 had a greater share of users who are either veterans or in the US military compared with other social media platforms.

Parler also drew more users from states in the South and in the Mountain West – tracking closely with pro-Trump Republican voters in those states – than from other parts of the country. The findings come from research by Disqo, a company based in Glendale, California, that signs up volunteers from among users of social media platforms who allow their online presence to be tracked.