Parler, a social media platform for free speech, became popular among right-wing supporters after Facebook and Twitter began clamping down on conspiracy theories.
After failing to moderate content related to hate speech and violence, social media platform Parler was banned from Google Play Store on Saturday (January 9). In recent times, due to strict content moderation on Twitter and Facebook, Parler emerged as the go-to platform for US President Donald Trump’s right-wing supporters. But following the storming of the US Capitol on January 6 that led to five deaths including a police officer, it was clear that many of the rioters had coordinated on Parler, forcing both Google and Apple to issue notices. Before Google announced its ban, Apple had also given a 24-hour notice to the platform to moderate content threatening to remove the app from its App Store. Google in its defense, said that all apps on its platform require moderation for user-generated content. As Parler failed to remove content that incited violence, it was forced to remove the app. “We have reminded Parler of this clear policy in recent months. We’re aware of continued posting in the Parler app that seeks to incite ongoing violence in the US. In light of this ongoing and urgent public safety threat, we are suspending the app’s listings from the Play Store until it addresses these issues,” a Google spokesperson told BleepingComputer in a statement. Content moderation has been one of the big challenges that social media platforms have faced over the years.
