Parler CEO John Matze has been forced to flee his home and go into hiding after receiving an onslaught of left-wing death threats. Parler, a free speech social media platform, has been temporarily shut down in an extensive deplatforming campaign. Amazon promptly cut Parler’s access to its Web Services after the US Capitol riot earlier this month, cherry-picking examples of content that violate Parler’s terms of service and claiming the platform is being used for violent purposes.

Matze made the frank admission in a court filing for Parler’s lawsuit against Amazon, requesting that the court keep any disclosures about his personal life and location secret. Parler is currently suing Amazon in federal court for its immediate revocation of Parler’s hosting agreement, arguing that Amazon agreed to provide 30 days notice before any potential termination of Parler’s hosting, pursuant to the party’s original agreement.

Matze reveals that he’s been forced to leave his home and go into hiding with his family, citing Amazon Web Services’ “vilification” of his company.

Employees of Amazon have allegedly been threatened and harassed as well for shutting down Parler. The court filing in favor of redaction references these threats in requesting the court provide redaction of personal information to both sides.

“Both sides of this dispute have shown that their employees have suffered real harassment and threats—including, on both sides, death threats—owing to the charged nature of this litigation.

Parler therefore agrees with AWS that safety and security concerns justify the limited sealings requested here,” Parler requests in the Amazon lawsuit.

Parler’s administrators are still seeking to return the free speech social media platform to full operation, although it could take weeks to bring it back online. They may have learned a lesson about the futility of contracting hosting services with a Big Tech monopoly such as Amazon.

Follow me on Twitter @Wildman_AZ, on Parler @Moorhead, and on Gab @WildmanAZ.