Apple is threatening to ban social media platform Parler from its app store unless it cracks down on constitutionally protected speech that Apple doesn’t approve of, a move that would effectively exclude the app from all Apple smartphones.
Parler is a top-performing app in the App Store, frequently taking the top spot in downloads as censorship on other social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter has escalated.
Apple has given Parler just 24 hours to remove content that it considers “objectionable,” presenting the app with a seemingly impossible list of demands to meet in such a tight time window.
According to an email provided to Breitbart News by Parler:
To the developers of the Parler app,
We require your immediate attention regarding serious App Store guidelines violations that we have found with your app, Parler.
We have received numerous complaints regarding objectionable content in your Parler service, accusations that the Parler app was used to plan, coordinate, and facilitate the illegal activities in Washington D.C. on January 6, 2021 that led (among other things) to loss of life, numerous injuries, and the destruction of property.
Your CEO was quoted recently saying “but I don’t feel responsible for any of this and neither should the platform, considering we’re a neutral town square that just adheres to the law.” We want to be clear that Parler is in fact responsible for all the user generated content present on your service and for ensuring that this content meets App Store requirements for the safety and protection of our users. We don’t distribute apps that present dangerous and harmful content.
Please remove all objectionable content from your app and submit your revised binary for review. Such content includes any content similar to the examples attached to this message, as well as any content referring to harm to people or attacks on government facilities now or at any future date. In addition, you must respond to this message with detailed information about how you intend to moderate and filter this content from your app, and what you will do to improve moderation and content filtering for your service for this kind of objectionable content going forward.
Apple also told Parler that material “intended to incite violence or other lawless acts has never been acceptable on the App Store,” despite the fact that the App Store carries Twitter and Facebook, both of which have been used repeatedly by Antifa, Black Lives Matter, and other groups to coordinate acts of violence and lawlessness.
Rose City Antifa, a group which has repeatedly involved itself in, and supported acts of violence and disorder in Portland, Oregon, still has an active page on Facebook with over 20,000 “likes.” That is just one example of such activity.
Portland is perhaps the city worst-affected by Antifa violence. Riots are still occurring regularly in the city, and the Democrat mayor, Ted Wheeler, was recently assaulted by a far-left activist while dining at a restaurant.