Apple has given conservative social network Parler 24 hours to implement full moderation plan and remove offensive content or get permanent ban from App Store, reports BuzzFeed News.
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In an email sent to Parler this morning, Apple said it had received complaints that the app had been used by supporters of President Donald Trump to plan and coordinate the US Capitol infiltration on Wednesday. Apple says the Parler app violates offensive content and user-generated content guidelines.
We need your immediate attention regarding serious violations of the App Store guidelines we found with your app, Parler.
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 that (among other things) led to the loss of human lives, numerous injuries and the destruction of property. The app also appears to be still being used to plan and facilitate even more illegal and dangerous activities.
Our investigation found that Parler does not effectively moderate and remove content that encourages illegal activity and poses a serious risk to the health and safety of users in direct violation of your own terms of service, located at: https: //legal.parler. com / documents / Elaboration-on-Guidelines.pdf
Examples of these complaints can be found on these links:
https://twitter.com/slpng_giants/status/1347190280492089344?s=20
https://twitter.com/EmmanueLoree/status/1347260055410896897/foto/1
https://twitter.com/Lovedrea/status/1347263797614972928?s=20
https://twitter.com/Wilmographer/status/1346714000554303489?s=20
https://twitter.com/pjg0014/status/1347265499210592256?s=20Content of this dangerous and harmful nature is not suitable for the App Store. As you know from previous conversations with App Review, Apple requires apps with user-generated content to be moderated effectively to ensure that offensive, potentially harmful content is filtered out. Content that threatens the well-being of others or is intended to incite violence or other lawless acts has never been acceptable in the App Store.
Your CEO recently said, “But I don’t feel responsible for this, and neither should the platform as we are a neutral city square that just obeys the law. We want to be clear that Parler is basically responsible for all user-generated content present on your service and for ensuring that this content meets the App Store requirements for the safety and protection of our users. We do not distribute apps containing dangerous and harmful content.
Apple requires Parler to submit an update and a “requested moderation improvement plan” within 24 hours of receiving the email on Friday morning. If Parler does not comply with this, the app will be removed from the App Store.
Parler’s CEO, John Matze, said on the social network that Parler does not “give in to politically motivated companies and authoritarians who hate freedom of speech.” Since its launch in 2018, Parler claims to be a free speech alternative to mainstream social networks with more relaxed content moderation rules, which has attracted people banned or banned from Twitter, Facebook and other mainstream social networks.
In related news, the social network Twitter announced today that it has permanently suspended US President Donald Trump’s Twitter account. Twitter said the account had been suspended due to “the risk of further incitement to violence.”
Twitter yesterday suspended Trump’s account for 12 hours after he posted a video message calling rioters “very special” and repeating allegations of electoral fraud.
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Twitter said the account would be unlocked if Trump deleted tweets, but warned that further violations would result in a permanent ban. Facebook and Instagram have also indefinitely banned Trump, and Google Play removed the Parler app on Friday night.
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