Google has banned the social media app Parler from its Play Store following the Capitol Building riot, citing the app’s insufficient monitoring of content posted on the site that may “incite ongoing violence,” numerous sources reported.
Parler, which touts itself as a free-speech social media alternative and has a laissez faire approach to content moderation, will have its listings suspended on Google’s Play Store until the platform implements “robust moderation for egregious content,” Business Insider reported.
JUST IN: Google suspending Parler from the Google Play store pic.twitter.com/Nyv59LoNWh
— Cristiano Lima (@viaCristiano) January 9, 2021
“We’re aware of continued posting in the Parler app that seeks to incite ongoing violence in the US. We recognize that there can be reasonable debate about content policies and that it can be difficult for apps to immediately remove all violative content, but for us to distribute an app through Google Play, we do require that apps implement robust moderation for egregious content,” a Google spokesperson told Business Insider.
“In light of this ongoing and urgent public safety threat, we are suspending the app’s listings from the Play Store until it addresses these issues,” the spokesperson continued.
Earlier Friday evening, Twitter permanently banned President Donald Trump after issuing a temporary suspension on his account earlier in the week, citing the potential for “further incitement of violence” following the storming of the Capitol Building by pro-Trump rioters Wednesday, which led to 5 deaths and roughly 80 arrests. (RELATED: Twitter Permanently Bans President Trump’s Account)
After close review of recent Tweets from the @realDonaldTrump account and the context around them we have permanently suspended the account due to the risk of further incitement of violence.https://t.co/CBpE1I6j8Y
— Twitter Safety (@TwitterSafety) January 8, 2021
Apple also warned Parler following the riot, saying that if Parler doesn’t implement a content moderation plan within 24 hours, it could be removed from the App Store. Apple said it received complaints that individuals were using Parler to “plan, coordinate, and facilitate the illegal activities in Washington D.C.” and that the app has continued to be used to “plan and facilitate yet further illegal and dangerous activities,” Buzzfeed reported
Parler reportedly has two million users compared to Twitter’s 330 million monthly active users, according to the Washington Post. Many right-learning Twitter users have migrated to Parler over concerns about Twitter’s approach to content moderation, claiming bias in its implementation of its policies.