Apple and Google are facing new pressure to deplatform Parler, a social network founded as a less moderated and more conservative-friendly alternative to Facebook and Twitter. Activist group Sleeping Giants has called on both companies to ban Parler from their app stores in response to posts calling for violence against elected officials.
As evidence, the group posted screenshots of Parler posts calling for Vice President Mike Pence to face a firing squad and encouraging “American Patriots” to return to the capital on January 19th “carrying Our weapons.”
Yesterday, we asked @AppStore and @GooglePlay to enforce their own Terms of Service on Parler based on the sheer number of violent threats on the platform with #PullParler.
Look at the VERY CLEAR terms set by these two app stores below: https://t.co/SpPuSCUxy4
— Sleeping Giants (@slpng_giants) January 8, 2021
The group points out that both Google and Apple have clear rules against violent threats and moderation of content. Apple’s App Store says apps must have “a method for filtering objectionable material from being posted” and “a mechanism to report offensive content.” Google’s Play Store bars apps that “depict or facilitate gratuitous violence or other dangerous activities,” and that “we don’t allow apps that contain or facilitate threats, harassment, or bullying.”
Neither Apple nor Google replied to requests for comment from The Verge. Parler also did not reply to a request for comment.
