Why SkySilk Came Out of Nowhere To Save Parler After Capitol Riot

On Jan. 10, just days after pro-Trump rioters blitzed the U.S. Capitol, Amazon Web Services pulled the plug on the conservative social media site Parler.

Parler grew desperate. It had relied on Amazon's Web-hosting services to reach its burgeoning audience of more than 12 million. After Amazon cut it off, it was rejected by six other Web hosts. It seemed doomed to disappear from the Web.

Until SkySilk showed up.

The obscure Los Angeles-based, Web-hosting company extended a hand and brought Parler back online last month.

In his first interview since that moment, SkySilk CEO Kevin Matossian said he never intended to jump into the middle of the national debate over online speech. Instead, he said, he made a deal with Parler to spite tech giants such as Amazon, which abuse their might.

"Is the power that is being wielded by Big Tech more dangerous than the hate and vitriol of certain places on the Internet?" he asked. "We took the position that big technology's overreach, this unchecked power, is equally frightening."