PragerU announced that its app had been reinstated to the Google Play Store hours after Google removed it claiming it promoted “hate speech.”
The organization, which is known as Prager University, posted an update in a post on X, writing that Google had “reinstated the PragerU app on Google Play store” after conducting another review.
Following an earlier report by Breitbart News about the app’s removal from the Google Play Store, a Google spokesperson told Breitbart that the PragerU app was suspended in error and was quickly reinstated upon further investigation.
As Breitbart News reported, PragerU posted screenshots of a message from Google in which the tech company claimed the non-profit organization had asserted “that a protected group is inhuman, inferior or worthy of being hated.”
“In an email from Google, they said our recently removed app is now available ‘after further re-review,'” PragerU wrote. “Thank you to all of our amazing supporters who helped publicize this issue to force Google to reverse their earlier decision to remove our app from the store entirely.”
In its explanation revealing that the PragerU app had been suspended, Google said it does not “allow apps that promote violence, or incite hatred against individuals or groups based on race or ethnic origin,” among other things:
We don’t allow apps that promote violence, or incite hatred against individuals or groups based on race or ethnic origin, religion, disability, age, nationality, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or any other characteristic that is associated with systemic discrimination or marginalization.
In a statement from PragerU, the organization accused Google of “using Soviet-style tactics and attempting to silence” them:
Google is using Soviet-style tactics and attempting to silence us. According to Google, sharing the stories of a former Palestinian refugee, an Arab Muslim born in Israel, and brave U.S. Navy SEALs who witnessed the horrors of Muslim extremism constitutes “hate speech.” This is a blatant attempt to silence truth and censor speech. We urgently need your help to fight back against this suppression.
PragerU was founded by Dennis Prager, a radio talk show host. The organization is known for creating short educational videos centered around conservative topics.
In 2017, PragerU sued Google and YouTube, claiming that the organizations had censored their videos. Years later, in January 2019, PragerU filed another lawsuit against Google, accusing the company of censorship and “engaging in unlawful, misleading, and unfair businesses practices.”
PragerU Chief Marketing Officer Craig Strazzeri described the removal of the PragerU app from the Google Play Store as not being “that surprising given their track record” of restricting the organization’s videos.