Google said it has removed Parler, the app recently favored by prominent right-wing activists, from the Google Play Store because it does not have content moderation policies against "egregious content like posts that incite violence."
"We're aware of continued posting in the Parler app that seeks to incite ongoing violence in the U.S.," a Google spokesperson said in a statement. Supporters of President Trump used Parler, Twitter and Facebook to organize and coordinate the riots on Capitol Hill this week.
Apple is reportedly considering a similar move, after sending a letter to Parler saying it would remove the app from the App Store unless it submitted a moderation plan in the next 24 hours.
"We recognize that there can be reasonable debate about content policies and that it can be difficult for apps to immediately remove all violative content, but for us to distribute an app through Google Play, we do require that apps implement robust moderation for egregious content," the Google spokesperson said. "In light of this ongoing and urgent public safety threat, we are suspending the app's listings from the Play Store until it addresses these issues."
Parler is still available on the web and other Android app stores. The suspension also does not mean it will be removed from existing users' phones.
Climate TRACE's data show emissions at the facility-level.Image: Climate TRACE