Google removes the Parler app from the Play Store

 

Earlier this week, the U.S. Congress officially met to count the electoral votes cast in the 2020 Presidential election. I don’t have to tell you, what else happened that day, but that event has major repercussions on how tech giants are treating certain actors on their platforms. As it so happens, the Google Play Store is one such platform, and they have just pulled the plug on hosting the Parler app.

 

Google has removed today Parler, a social media networking app for right-wing supporters, from the official Play Store after evidence surfaced online that its members were openly planning acts of violence against law enforcement members and in preparation for the upcoming Biden inauguration ceremony.

 

"In order to protect user safety on Google Play, our longstanding policies require that apps displaying user-generated content have moderation policies and enforcement that removes egregious content like posts that incite violence," a Google spokesperson told techlust news today.

 

"All developers agree to these terms and we have reminded Parler of this clear policy in recent months.

"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.

Unless Parler introduces more stringent moderation practices, Apple has threatened to remove the app from the App Store within 24 hours,Says Parler Chief Executive John Matze.On the other hand, Google has gone ahead and removed the Parler app from the Play Store effective immediately. The app has already been delisted from the Play Store as Google cites an “ongoing and urgent public safety threat” that they say stems from Parler lack of “robust moderation for egregious content.”

Google's decision was, however, not a surprise for most in the tech scene. Rumours started circulating earlier this morning that both Apple and Google were considering bans due to the recent content shared on the Parler social network and its role in organizing the recent capitol riot.

 

Earlier today, several tech news outlets reported that Apple already issued 24hours warning to the Parler app, asking its staff to implement a content moderation policy or face a suspension from the App Store.

But by the time Google made its decision today, the wave of bans against online right-wing groups and communities was well underway, including bans against accounts operated by US President Donald Trump, accused of inciting this week's Capitol riot.

However, today's Play Store ban doesn't mean the Parler app will stop working. The app will continue to operate on the phones of users who already installed, and new users can download new versions of the app from other third-party stores.