UPDATE: January 9, 2021, 19:50 EST Apple has announced that it has suspended Parler. In a statement issued to Mashable, the company wrote: “We have always supported the representation of divergent views in the App Store, but there is no place on our platform for threats of violence and illegal activity. Parler said “We have not taken sufficient measures to address the spread of these threats to human safety. We have suspended Parler from the App Store until they resolve these issues.”
As for the App Store, it seems that any publicity is good advertising.
Less than 24 hours after Apple threatened to remove Parler from its App Store, the social media app favored by conservatives due to its lax content restriction policy is at the top of the download charts. On Saturday afternoon, hours before the reported deadline expired, the previously fringe alternative to Twitter was revived.
Parler suddenly called himself the number one free app in the App Store – a ranking, no doubt at least in part, thanks to Apple’s looming ban because people rushed the app before it could be removed.
Apple followed up on Saturday night and suspended the app because “Parler did not take sufficient measures to address the spread of … threats to human safety”. ‘But during the approximately day-long delay the app had before it was removed, many more users jumped on board.
However, the signal is good. Image: screenshot / app store
This seemingly arbitrary 24-hour window contrasts sharply with Google’s actions against Parler. The Mountain View-based technology giant went ahead and removed Parler straight from the Google Play Store on Friday without first giving a very public headline.
Importantly, the reasons for removing Google and Apple’s threatened removal are very similar. Both companies have expressed concern over the app’s lack of content moderation following the deadly siege of the U.S. Capitol building by Trump’s extremists – some of whom discussed their plans before the event on the Internet.
However, Apple offered Parler time to get his case in order. According to the Wall Street JournalApple said that “in order to keep Parler available in the App Store, it had to provide detailed information about its content moderation plans and how it would improve moderation and content filtering in the future.”
What, hey, if it works out, great.
SEE ALSO: Twitter permanently suspends @TeamTrump after a series of Trump tweets
We have issued both Apple and Parler to confirm these reports, but no response has been received from either of the two receipts.
Meanwhile, downloading from the App Store continues.