Google said its app store has long required apps that display user-generated content to have moderation policies to prevent the spread of violent rhetoric.
“We are aware of ongoing posts on the Parler app that seek to incite continuing violence in the United States,” said a Google spokesman. “We recognize that there may be a reasonable debate about content policies and that it may be difficult for apps to immediately remove all infringing content, but in order to distribute an app through Google Play, we require apps to implement robust moderation for blatant content. In light of this continuing and urgent threat to public security, we are suspending the app’s listings on the Play Store until it resolves these issues. ”
The decision marks a major blow to supporters of President Donald Trump, many of whom have found a home on the Parler platform. But that does not completely deny access to the application. Since Android allows third-party app stores, Parler can still be hosted at app stores not operated by Google.
Parler is among a group of relatively new platforms that call themselves free speech alternatives in hopes of courting conservatives who believe that larger platforms are censoring their views.
The Google Play suspension came on the same night that Twitter banned President Trump’s @realDonaldTrump account from his social network. The move effectively removes Trump from his favorite social network, which he used throughout his presidency to bypass traditional media and direct his message to his tens of millions of followers.
CNN Business’s Kaya Yurieff and Sara O’Brien contributed to this story.