UPDATE 17:42: Google has blocked the messaging and social networking app Parler from its store.
The company calls the ‘urgent threat to public safety’ to restrict the app, which is seen as an alternative to freedom of speech.
UPDATED 16:17: Parler is currently off.
If you noticed that your social media feeds have gotten a little less in the last few months, it’s because a lot of conspiracy theories have flowed to Parler, a legal network that refuses to censor posts under the guise of free speech. leading to an avalanche of death threats and offensive images.
Following the violent storming of the U.S. Capitol this week by supporters of President Donald Trump, Apple has taken an aggressive stance to curb the potentially dangerous hate speech in the app.
RELATED: I tried Parler, the social media app where hate speech thrives
BuzzFeed News received an email this morning that Apple sent to Parler executives, in which he accused the company of facilitating the activities that took place at the Capitol. The email reads:
“We have received numerous complaints about offensive content in your Parler service, allegations that the Parler app was used to plan, coordinate and facilitate the illegal activities in Washington DC on January 6, 2021 which (among other things) led to loss of life “numerous injuries and property destruction,” Apple wrote to Parler. “It appears that the app is still being used to plan and facilitate further illegal and dangerous activities.”
The message continues with the demand that Parler need a moderation plan or remove the face from the App Store within 24 hours.
Google has been pressured to follow suit with activist group Sleeping giant posting screenshots from the app that showed ongoing threats of violence, including those against Vice President Mike Pence. Google has yet to make a statement.