Parler, the “free speech” social media platform the USA’s far-right uses to voice their controversial opinions on, has been making headlines for a while now. In the wake of the raid on the US Capitol building in January, Parler was pulled out of several app stores and was even suspended off of Amazon’s web hosting service, effectively taking it offline. The platform managed to find its way online again in February, via a new web hosting platform, and has now been brought back to Apple’s App store.
Come into my Parler
On March 31, @SenMikeLee and I sent a letter demanding answers about why Apple removed Parler from the App Store.
🚨Today, we received a response: Parler will be reinstated on the App Store. Huge win for free speech. pic.twitter.com/FQBDSSSFGk
— Rep. Ken Buck (@RepKenBuck) April 19, 2021
Apple, like others, banned the platform for its loose content moderation that apparently allowed for hate speech, encouraging violence, and even inciting and coordinating the Capitol riot. The company has now explained, in a letter to US Senator Mike Lee and US Congressmen Ken Buck, that Parler has changed up its content moderation practices enough to be let back onto the app store.
Apple further explains that the app was initially pulled for including, “offensive or discriminatory content, including that which is likely humiliate, intimidate, or harm a targeted individual or group”, a result of the platform’s desire to, “not moderate content at all”. Apple reveals that it found posts that, “encouraged violence, denigrated various ethnic groups, races and religions, glorified Nazism, and called for violence against specific people”, providing evidence of such posts to Lee and Buck.
What this means for Parler remains to be seen. Should its proponents flock back to it, many may be unimpressed by its new moderation rules. But the app is already on thin ice, and letting even a little bit slide might be enough for Apple to boot it again. Time will tell. Android users still won’t see the app on their store, but apparently Donald Trump is working on his own alternative…
Source: The Next Web
