In the aftermath of the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, America’s digital battlegrounds were scorched by censorship — not just from Big Tech, but from within.
On Jan. 9, Apple banned Parler from its App Store. Google Play followed the same day. Three days later, Wimkin — another fast-growing platform I founded in 2020 — was pulled from both stores while trending as the No. 1 download.
This story isn’t just about app stores or privacy. It’s about who actually fights for liberty — and who cashes in on the illusion of it.
Apple reinstated Parler just two weeks later. Big Tech doesn’t reinstate fighters. It rewards compliance. Parler capitulated, big-time.
Parler’s infrastructure wasn’t just negligent; it became a surveillance tool. The platform required government ID to create an account and failed to scrub GPS metadata from user-uploaded media. That metadata was easily scraped and used to locate users inside and around the Capitol on Jan. 6.
IDs plus GPS equals turnkey doxxing. Parler didn’t resist the feds — it did their job for them.
Wimkin held the line
Wimkin, by contrast, required no ID and stripped metadata to protect user anonymity. But even though we did everything right, Apple and Google deplatformed us at the height of our momentum.
At the same time, the U.S. Postal Service’s secret surveillance unit — iCOP — began monitoring Wimkin for “threats.” The message was clear: The surveillance state had our platform in its crosshairs.
Then came two separate demands from Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) and the January 6 committee, ordering Wimkin to turn over internal communications. Wimkin refused.
Wimkin, in fact, was one of the few companies to hold the line. That is what fighting looks like.
And where were the conservative influencers? The so-called “free-speech warriors” refused to promote Wimkin unless they were paid $5,000 or more per post. They’d praise Parler — which helped get users arrested — but wouldn’t lift a finger for the one platform actually resisting federal pressure.
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Photo by Malte Mueller via Getty Images
Resistance is not futile
Wimkin wasn’t unprofitable — we were demonetized, targeted, and shut down at every turn. We burned through legal fees to protect users and stand up to Congress. And we received practically no media defense, no major promotion, and no institutional support.
But we stood our ground. And now, Wimkin is going public on the NASDAQ.
This story isn’t just about app stores or privacy. It’s about who actually fights for liberty — and who cashes in on the illusion of it.
Parler bent the knee. Wimkin planted a flag.
