[ad_1]
Apple will allow the social media app Parler, which defends itself as a defender of free speech, to return to the App Store after being kicked off the platform following the Capitol riots for hosting content that infringed rules.
Apple had promised that Parler, controlled by Republican mega-donor Rebekah Mercer, would be well received if it agreed to strengthen the moderation of its content to deal with hate speech.
In a letter to two Republican lawmakers – Colorado Congressman Ken Buck and Utah Sen. Mike Lee on April 19 said Apple had “proposed updates to its app” that would comply.
The app, popular with conservatives and some members of the far right, welcomed calls for violence in the days leading up to the assault on the Capitol, including calls for the assassination of former Vice President Mike Pence.
Many conservatives attacked Apple’s ban on Big Tech censorship act, just days after Twitter ousted then-President Donald Trump from its platform.
Google also banned Talking from Android devices and Amazon denied the application of web hosting services, which caused it to go offline.
Lee posted Apple’s letter to Twitter on Monday, adding, “There is no need to silence conservative discourse.” Buck hailed the decision as a “huge victory for free speech.”
In response to questions from Republican lawmakers, Apple said in its letter that Parler had not moderated content that “encouraged violence, denigrated various ethnic groups, races, and religions, glorified Nazism, and called for violence against specific people.” He also said he did not take into account the “efforts to moderate the content of the application, as well as his desire expressed at various times not to moderate the content at all.”
He asked Parler to make sure he had tools to filter and report nasty content, the “ability to block abusive users,” and contact information so users could reach the developer. said the letter. On April 14, Apple was pleased that the app had made the necessary changes and “expects the updated app to be available immediately after Parler launches it.”
However, it is unclear when this will be. Talk about rubbing salt in my wounds – d’oh! fired his chief executive John Matze in February is not yet available for download and has not announced a new web hosting service.
Parler did not immediately return any feedback requests, either from Amazon or Google.
The major social networking platforms have faced rain of criticism of Congress for its role in U.S. electoral policy. At a hearing last month with chief executives on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, Republicans complained of bias against conservatives as Democrats called for tougher monitoring of content.
Some lawmakers on both sides have called for reforms to Article 230, the rules that give technology platforms immunity from being sued for user-generated content, in order to make them more accountable in the future.
[ad_2]
Source link
