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- Apple will reinstate social media app Parler to the iOS App Store after the app’s developers agreed to update and improve its content moderation practices
- Big tech companies all culled the app from their respective platforms following the U.S. Capitol riots on January 6
- The app, which is designed to be an alternative to the likes of Twitter and Facebook, had found particular favour among conservative commentators and supporters of former U.S. President Donald Trump
- Apple, Google and Amazon, however, cited the presence of hate speech and calls to violence on the Parler platform as reasons for banning the app
- Now, Apple said in a letter to two Republican politicians it has had “substantial conversations” with the Parler development team about bringing the app back
- With Parler committing to stronger moderation services across its platform, it will now be allowed back on the App Store as soon as developers re-release it
- Parler is still banned from the Google Play Store and has filed a lawsuit against Amazon for cutting the platform off from its web-hosting services
Apple will reinstate social media app Parler to the iOS App Store after the app’s developers agreed to update and improve its content moderation practices.
The app, which is designed to be an alternative to the likes of Twitter and Facebook and is touted as a free-speech haven, has found particular favour among conservative commentators and supporters of former U.S. President Donald Trump.
However, after the U.S. Capitol riots on January 6, Apple and other big tech companies quickly cut ties with Parler; Apple and Google banned the app from their respective app stores, while Amazon suspended Parler from its web-hosting services.
Each of the big tech companies cited the presence of hate speech and calls to violence on the Parler platform as reasons for culling the app.
Now, in a letter to Republican politicians Senator Mike Lee and Representative for Colorado Ken Buck, Apple said a revised version of the Parler app with improved content moderation has been approved for release on the App Store.
“Parler has proposed updated to its app and the app’s content moderation practices, and the App Review Team has informed Parler as of April 14, 2021, that its proposed updated app will be approved for reinstatement to the App Store,” Apple’s letter said.
On March 31, @SenMikeLee and I sent a letter demanding answers about why Apple removed Parler from the App Store.
— Congressman Ken Buck (@RepKenBuck) April 19, 2021
🚨Today, we received a response: Parler will be reinstated on the App Store. Huge win for free speech. pic.twitter.com/FQBDSSSFGk
Apple said the Parler app will be available for download once more as soon as its developers officially release it.
Mandatory moderation
In its letter to the Republican politicians, Apple doubled down on its initial decision to ban Parler from its App Store.
According to Apple, however, this was not a snap decision but rather came after several notices to Parler for failing to comply with Apple’s guidelines in the lead-up to the January 6 riots.
Apple said its review team found several posts on the Parler app that “encouraged violence, denigrated various ethnic groups, races and religions, glorified Nazism, and called for violence against specific people”.
Apple said Parler’s moderation efforts were not adequate and the company had even expressed its desire to not moderate content at all.
As such, with community posts on the app in breach of Apple’s guidelines, the tech giant removed Parler from the App Store.
Since then, Apple has had “substantial conversations” with Parler about bringing the app back into compliance with App Store guidelines.
Now that Parler’s development team has committed to stronger moderation practices, Apple is letting the Twitter alternative back.
Parler still remains off the Google Play Store, but Android users can download the app to their device without going through the official store.
Meanwhile, Parler has filed a lawsuit against Amazon for cutting the platform off from its web-hosting services. Despite the Amazon cull, however, Parler has been back online since February after gaining limited functionality by securing servers hosted by SkySilk.
