#ParlerHacked? US networking platform's co-founder denies rumours site has been breached

US microblogging and social networking platform Parler has allegedly been targeted by hackers , who released a screenshot of what is said to be the service's client database. However, the platform's co-founder has denied the rumours, saying the screenshot comes from a site unconnected to Parler and has been circulating for months. The platform, which has been billed as an alternative to Twitter , and attracts many users who have been kicked off or blocked by other social media apps, found itself trending with the hashtag #parlerhacked, as the database quickly spread online, said to reveal some big political names and direct messages sent by well-known figures. Users are said to be disproportionately made up of conservatives and right-wing extremists. “I’ve seen what looks like legit proof of 5,000 compromised Parler accounts including DMs of some well-known figures … I wish I would unsee what I’ve seen,” wrote user Kevin Abosch, who describes himself as a data scientist, on Twitter. “Of course it wasn’t hard to hack!” wrote Twitter user @KristaAllenXO. “Everyone’s password was MAGA2020. #parlerhacked.” The networking site’s motto is: “Speak freely and express yourself openly, without fear of being 'deplatformed' for your views. Engage with real people, not bots. Parler is people and privacy-focused, and gives you the tools you need to curate your Parler experience.” Conservative social media users were quick to hit back at allegations Parler had been compromised , with John Matze, who founded the site in 2018 with Jared Thomson, insisting: "The alleged 'Parler Hack' is a screenshot from a Wordpress website that has been circulated repeatedly over the last six months … All our databases are hidden behind multiple layers of security and are not accessible via the web." While another user, Tim Young wrote: "Parler wasn't hacked ... but look at how excited nutty leftists are that the free speech app they can't stand might have been compromised ... pathetic. #ParlerHacked." Journalist Mikael Thalen added that the screenshot in circulation was old, saying it was "for a site not held on the same infrastructure as the main site". "This isn't to deny that a hack may have taken place, but that this screenshot is almost certainly unrelated."

#ParlerHacked? US networking platform's co-founder denies rumours site has been breached

The details and direct messages of 5,000 Parler users are said to have been leaked online