Parler, the social media app popular with Trump loyalists and those on the right, was removed from the Google Play Store on Friday – with the internet giant claiming that Parler did not remove “shocking content like posts that incite violence”.
Also on Friday, Apple warned Parler, who calls himself a “free speech” alternative to Twitter or Facebook, that the app will be banned from the App Store within 24 hours if it doesn’t remove content that “encourages illegal activity”. Parler was the most popular app on the Apple App Store on Saturday morning in the news category.
The measures came at a time when Twitter permanently banned Donald Trump, citing the potential risk that the offended goofy president will foment additional violence among his supporters. Trump accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitch and other platforms have also been indefinitely or permanently blocked after their role in organizing and supporting the insurrectional crowd that occupied the U.S. Capitol on January 6 in a deadly confrontation with the police.
In a statement, Google said that “to protect user safety on Google Play, our long-standing policies require applications that display user-generated content to have moderation and enforcement policies that remove blatant content, such as posts that incite violence”. He continued, “We are aware of ongoing posts on the Parler app that seek to incite continuing violence in the U.S.” and said that “In light of this continuing and urgent threat to public security, we are suspending the app’s listings on the Play Store until it addresses these problems. “
The ban on Google Play reduces Parler’s visibility, but due to Android’s open architecture, this version of the app is still available for download directly from the Parler website. Removing Parler for iOS by Apple would be a more serious blow, given that the App Store of the tech colossus is the only way to get apps for your iPhone and iPad devices (although users who have already installed the iOS app can still use it after removing it from the App Store).
Parler founder and CEO John Matze, in a post on the app on Friday, criticized the actions of the tech giants, accusing them of double standards. “Standards not applied to Twitter, Facebook or even Apple itself apply to Parler,” he wrote. Matze said Parler’s community guidelines prohibit violent speech (including “threats of violence” and “advocacy of imminent lawless action”) and said the company has always enforced those rules.
“[W]We will NOT give in to politically motivated companies and those authoritarian who hate freedom of speech! ”Matze wrote. According to the executive, “most people in Parler are non-violent people who want to share their opinions, photos of food and more”.
Matze also posted a screenshot of the company’s Apple Notice application, describing “serious violations of the App Store guidelines”.
“We want to make it clear that Parler is in fact responsible for all user-generated content on his service and for ensuring that that content meets the App Store’s requirements for the safety and protection of our users,” says Apple’s warning of 8 of January. “We will not distribute applications that contain dangerous and harmful content.”
By Apple’s logic, Matze argued, Apple “should be responsible for ALL the actions” taken by its phone customers, including “Every car bomb, every illegal cell phone conversation, every illegal crime committed on an iPhone.” He also stated that Google did not send Parler an explanation of why it decided to ban the app before removing it from the Play Store.
Founded in 2018, Parler is proud of its direct approach to moderation, in contrast to the intensified policing by conventional social networks like Facebook and Twitter.
Although Trump himself currently does not have a Parler account, his son Donald Trump Jr. is active in the app, as are right-wing figures like Sean Hannity from Fox News and Tucker Carlson and Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.).
“Speak freely and express yourself openly, without fear of being ‘deplatform’ for your opinions,” says the company on its website. “Get involved with real people, not bots. Parler focuses on people and privacy and provides the tools you need to organize your Parler experience. “