Parler Suspended From Google Play Store for Lack of Moderation on ‘Egregious Content’

Parler, the social media platform frequently used by right-wing extremists and conspiracy theorists, has been temporarily suspended from the Google Play store for lacking “robust moderation for egregious content,” Google said on Friday.

“In order to protect user safety on Google Play, our longstanding policies require that apps displaying user-generated content have moderation policies and enforcement that removes egregious content like posts that incite violence. All developers agree to these terms and we have reminded Parler of this clear policy in recent months,” a Google spokesperson told TheWrap.

“We’re aware of continued posting in the Parler app that seeks to incite ongoing violence in the US. 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 spokesperson continued. “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.”

Representatives for Parler did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but Parler CEO John Matze said on the platform that his company “will not cave to pressure from anti-competitive actors” and “politically motivated companies.”

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