Apple and Google Remove Parler From App Stores Over Violence Concerns
Apple and Google remove the pro-Trump social media app Parler from their respective app stores due to posts that incite violence following the U.S. Capitol riot.
Apple and Google remove Parler, a social network popular with Trump supporters, from their app stores following the violent riot at the U.S. Capitol. Apple states that posts on Parler include direct calls for violence and illegal activity, which strictly violates the company's guidelines regarding objectionable content. The tech giant suspends the app until Parler takes adequate measures to address these threats to public safety.
This removal happens alongside similar actions from other major technology platforms that are cracking down on content that incites violence. Twitter permanently bans President Donald Trump's personal account, and Facebook blocks him from posting at least through the presidential inauguration. Parler originally launches in 2018 as an alternative to Twitter with a commitment to minimal content moderation and no censorship.
Despite the removal from mobile app stores, Parler remains accessible to users through standard web browsers. Apple does not operate its own massive social media platform, but it exercises strict control over the App Store as the exclusive gateway for installing applications on iPhones. The company regularly removes apps that break its rules, having previously banned other right-wing associated apps like Infowars and Qdrops.