Apple said Parler is not moderating his service well enough.
Angela Lang / CNET
Apple reportedly told social network Parler that it still cannot publish its application to the App Store on iPhone and iPad. Apple banned the controversial social network, which is popular with extremists and conspiracy theorists, after rebels attacked the United States Capitol on January 6. Participants posted photos and videos of the chaos in Parler while it was happening, and the police soon learned that the attack had been openly planned on the social network too.
“There is no place for hateful, racist and discriminatory content on the App Store,” Apple wrote to Parler’s policy director on February 25, according to Bloomberg, which previously released the news. At the time, Parler said he was overhauling his moderation rules in response to Apple’s concerns. “After reviewing the new information, we do not believe that these changes are sufficient to comply with the App Store review guidelines,” he said in his message.
Apple was also not the only technology company to act. A few days after the attack on the Capitol, other tech giants, including Google and Amazon, expelled the social network from their services, citing violations of its policies against hate speech and violence.
Neither Apple nor Parler responded immediately to requests for comment.
Apple’s latest ruling against Parler marks the latest way in which Silicon Valley companies are trying to react against meeting places and publications popular with extremists. Like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube slowly increased the moderation of their homonymous social networks, they collectively banned thousands of accounts. The tech giants have also closed accounts of high-profile conservative politicians and experts, who they say are inspiring or participating in hate campaigns.
Conservative politicians like Texas Senator Ted Cruz, Missouri Senator Josh Hawley and former President Donald Trump argued that these prohibitions are politically directed and that big tech companies are violating people’s right to freedom of expression. Trump’s own social media accounts were banned from Facebook, Twitter and YouTube after the January 6 attack, due to fears he would use the platforms to further stimulate violence.