Google removes the Parler app from the Google Play Store

Google has removed Parler, a social media app that Trump fans like, from the Google Play Store, making it much harder for Android users to download and access the app.

Google said in a statement that it wants social media apps to have content evaluation policies that remove posts that promote violence, and that posts on Parler have encouraged more violence in the wake of the U.S. Capitol riot. early in the week.

The removal of the app comes as U.S. Capitol violence by Trump supporters on Wednesday left five dead on renewed calls for social media and technology companies to further model their platforms close, especially when it comes to calls to incite violence.

Twitter permanently banned President Donald Trump’s personal account on Friday because he felt Trump’s latest tweets provoked violence, while Facebook banned Trump from posting through the establishment later on. of the month.

Screenshots of the Parler app seen by CNBC show users posting reports of team shootings, as well as calls to bring weapons to the presidential inauguration later this month . In its statement, Google said it had warned the app about its content evaluation policy earlier this year.

Parler was launched in 2018, and emerged earlier this year as a pro-Trump alternative to Twitter with less content modeling. “We’re a community town square, an open town square, without censorship,” Parler CEO John Matze said in June. “If you can say it on New York Street, you can say it on Parler.”

The Google Play store is not the only way to install apps on Android phones. Users have an option of other app stores, or a process called side loading, which installs software manually without going through an app store.

The Parler app will not be removed from consumer phones, and is still available on the web, although the website had problems on Friday.

Parler did not immediately return a request for comment on the removal of app stores on Friday. Matze, Parler’s CEO, posted on his social network cookies a message from Apple on Friday suggesting that Apple planned to remove the app from its app store for iPhones. An Apple representative did not immediately comment.

Here is the full Google statement:

“To protect user safety on Google Play, our long-term policies require that apps that display user-generated content that has user-generated content have evaluation and enforcement policies in place. removal of violent content such as posts that incite violence.Every developer agrees to these terms and we have reminded Parler about this.a clear policy in recent months.We are aware of ongoing posting in the Parler app that seeks to incite continued violence in the U.S. We recognize that there can be a reasonable debate about content policies and that it can be difficult for apps to remove all breaches immediately. content, but for us to distribute an app through Google Play, we want apps to implement a robust method for meaningful content. In this ongoing and urgent public safety crisis, we are blocking the app’s listings from the Play Store to address them. issues. “