- Wimkin said its users increased by about 20% after the Capitol riots, before Google removed the app.
- “We don’t plan to close,” said Jason Sheppard, founder of Wimkin.
- A Google spokesman said he did not allow applications that “represent or facilitate gratuitous violence”.
- Visit the Business Insider home page for more stories.
Alternative social media network Wimkin saw an increase of about 20% in new users in the 12 days between the Capitol siege and Monday, when Google removed it from its app store, its founder said.
Jason Sheppard told Insider that he gained about 55,000 new users, breaking the 300,000 user mark.
Now, after Google and Apple removed the app, new users will have to download Wimkin directly from the company’s homepage. This will make it more difficult to add accustomed users to app stores. But the social network does not intend to give up.
“We don’t plan to close,” said Sheppard.
Wimkin was launched in August 2020 as a free speech social network, an alternative to larger sites like Twitter and Facebook.
Some users who have been banned or suspended from larger social networks have found new audiences on smaller alternative networks. Parler, for example, shot to the top of the app store after the siege of the Capitol.
Apple and Google removed Parler, which it deleted when it was also removed from its host, Amazon Web Services. Parler’s website went back online this week.
For Wimkin, Apple and Google cited the lack of moderation for dangerous content, according to messages shared by the company.
A Google spokesman told Insider: “We don’t allow apps that depict or facilitate gratuitous violence or other dangerous activities.”
Read More: How Silicon Valley banned Donald Trump in 48 hours
Wimkin said Google and Apple sent nine screenshots (four from Google and five from Apple) as part of an exchange on Wimkin’s moderation.
In these images, shared with Insider, a user asked for the formation of a militia in Washington on January 6. Others had general violent rhetoric. A post, which was accompanied by a photo of President Donald Trump, said: “It is time for all patriots to prepare for possible armed conflict with the traitorous individuals who are trying to destroy our country.”
Like Parler, Wimkin stepped up his moderation efforts after Google and Apple sought change. The company has increased its moderation team from four to eight people, he said. That was more than enough “to police the content,” said Sheppard.
He also said he was increasing the word ban filters, adding Google Vision, an image recognition system, and making other updates. Still, Sheppard said he was notified of Google’s removal decision on Monday night.
“We are being treated completely unfairly and if we are not reinstated when we work tirelessly to fulfill and become a better platform, we will be looking for legal remedy to at least shed some light on this tyrannical monopoly,” Sheppard said by email.