Social media platform Gab reported on Saturday a huge increase in traffic as users migrate from Twitter amid widespread bans.
“Our traffic is up 753% in the past 24 hours. Tens of millions of visits,” Gab said in a social media statement, responding to a user who said he wasn’t able to make an account.
“Please be patient, we aren’t going anywhere. Spinning up 10 new servers tonight. This takes time,” Gab added. The company also reported over 500,000 new users on Saturday.
Twitter on Friday permanently banned President Donald Trump and a slew of other users, including attorney Sidney Powell and former national security adviser Michael Flynn. That triggered an exodus to alternative sites such as Gab and Parler.
Gab is pushing for people to use its platform, noting that Trump is already on there. The president is not yet on Parler.
The company has also noted that it was removed from Apple and Google stores years ago and doesn’t rely on a third-party cloud hosting provider, such as Amazon.
In a new statement on Saturday, Torba said: “If your business is built on the backs of Silicon Valley tyrants (Apple, Google, et al) they can and will attempt to destroy you if and when you become a threat to their interests. They did this to Gab. Then Fortnite. Now Parler.”
“Terrible content of all kinds is available on Twitter and Facebook. Everyone on the planet knows this fact. Yet both companies are on both App Stores. Apple banning Parler is not the neutral implementation of some objective standard, but rather a cynical, politically motivated gesture and evidence of Silicon Valley elites’ disdain for ordinary Americans. The solution, as always, is not government. It is to build your own. People mock this meme, but Gab lives it. While others whine, we build,” he added.
Apple and Google didn’t respond to requests for comment.