Google removes the Parler app from the Google Play Store

Google removed Parler, a social media app popular with Trump supporters from the Google Play Store, making it much more difficult for Android users to download and access the app.

Google said in a statement that it requires social media applications to have content moderation policies that remove posts that incite violence, and that the posts in Parler are encouraging more violence after the United States Capitol riot earlier this week. .

The removal of the app comes at a time when violence on the United States Capitol by Trump supporters on Wednesday, which left five dead, renewed calls for social media and technology companies to more closely moderate their platforms, especially when it comes to calls to incite violence.

Twitter permanently banned President Donald Trump’s personal account on Friday because it appeared that Trump’s latest tweets were inciting violence, while Facebook prevented Trump from posting during his inauguration later this month.

Screenshots of the Parler app seen by CNBC show users posting references to firing squads, as well as requests to bring weapons into presidential tenure later this month. In its statement, Google said it warned the app about its content moderation policy earlier this year.

Parler was launched in 2018 and emerged earlier this year as a pro-Trump alternative to Twitter with less content moderation. “We are a city square, an open, uncensored square,” said Parler CEO John Matze in June. “If you can speak on the streets of New York, you can speak at Parler.”

The Google Play Store is not the only way to install apps on Android phones. Users have the option of alternative app stores, or a process called side loading, which installs the software manually without going through an app store.

The Parler app will not be removed from users’ phones and can still be accessed on the web, although the site is having trouble loading on Friday.

Parler did not immediately return a request for comment on app store removals on Friday. Parze’s CEO Matze posted excerpts of an Apple message on Friday on his social network that suggested Apple was planning to remove the app from its iPhones app store soon. An Apple representative did not immediately comment.

Here is the full statement from Google:

“To protect user safety on Google Play, our longstanding policies require that apps that display user-generated content have moderation and enforcement policies that remove blatant content, such as posts that incite violence. All developers agree with these terms and reminded Parler of that clear policy in the past few months. We are aware of ongoing posts on the Parler app that seek to incite continuing violence in the U.S. We recognize that there may be a reasonable debate about content policies and that it may be difficult for apps to remove immediately all content violations, but in order to distribute an app through Google Play, we require apps to implement robust moderation for shocking content. In light of this continuing and urgent threat to public safety, we are suspending app listings on the Play Store until solve those problems. “