Apple denied Parler re-entry to the App Store despite guideline revision

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
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in General Discussion
Apple denied controversial conservative social media app Parler re-entry to the App Store during a recent review of the platform, according to a new report.

Credit: Parler
Credit: Parler


The Cupertino tech giant pulled the app in the wake of the Jan. 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol. At the time, Apple said Parler could return to the App Store if it changed its moderation guidelines to comply with its terms of service.

As it came back online, Parler changed its community guidelines to new policies written by Chief Policy Officer Amy Peikoff. But an App Store review found that the updated policies and moderation practices were insufficient to comply with Apple's rules, Bloomberg reported Wednesday.

"After having reviewed the new information, we do not believe these changes are sufficient to comply with App Store Review guidelines. There is no place for hateful, racist, discriminatory content on the App Store," Apple wrote to Parler on Feb. 25.

Apple included several screenshots in its rejection to Parler, including several that showed user profiles with swastikas and white nationalist imagery, as well as user names or posts that were misogynistic, homophobic or racist.

On Wednesday, a few weeks after the rejection letter, Parler cut its remaining three iOS developers, according to Bloomberg. In total, Parler purged seven workers, including others that worked on Parler TV and the app's quality assurance.

In its letter to Parler, Apple said that "simple searches reveal highly objectionable content, including easily identified offensive uses of derogatory terms regarding race, religion and sexual orientation, as well as Nazi symbols."

Apple reiterated that the app couldn't return to the App Store until it complies with the marketplace's guidelines.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 103
    crusader97bcrusader97b Posts: 4member
    Funny thing is all that can be found on Twitter and Facebook as well. 
    sdw2001doozydozenn2macsolsyojimbo007anonconformistanantksundaramkillroyelijahgzeus423
  • Reply 2 of 103
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member
    Good, but heaven knows why it was allowed in the first place. Absolute cesspool. 
    fordeedewmeolskillroyfotoformatOferRayz2016drdavidGG1lkrupp
  • Reply 3 of 103
    hexclockhexclock Posts: 1,250member
    Funny thing is all that can be found on Twitter and Facebook as well. 
    Louis Farrakhan posting on Twitter to his followers not to take the vaccine is ok though. 
    edited March 2021 sdw2001anonconformistelijahgzeus423GG1cornchiprevenant
  • Reply 4 of 103
    sdw2001sdw2001 Posts: 18,016member
    crowley said:
    Good, but heaven knows why it was allowed in the first place. Absolute cesspool. 
    Twitter and Facebook are FAR worse.  Both were more involved in Jan 6.  
    yojimbo007anonconformistanantksundaramelijahgzeus423mobirdfahlmanbluefire1roakejeffharris
  • Reply 5 of 103
    1984called1984called Posts: 1member
    You have got to be kidding. Apple, seriously, putting out this statement and yet they allow facebook, twitter, reddit and just take a look at the top hip hop songs on Apple Music. Disgusting. Apple is spitting in your face and telling you it's raining. 
    yojimbo007anonconformistanantksundaramelijahgzeus423fahlmanadhausbluefire1roakeJanNL
  • Reply 6 of 103
    DAalsethDAalseth Posts: 2,783member
    Apple's party, you get invited or not at Apple's choice. 
    killroyRayz2016drdavidwatto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 103
    bakerzdosenbakerzdosen Posts: 181member
    Yeah, this is a bad look for Apple. I have no desire to download Parler (other than the obvious "this is forbidden, I must have it" draw) but to say it's due to hate speech when you can find exactly that on several currently approved apps (as has been mentioned above: Twitter, Reddit, Facebook etc) is disingenuous at best.
    As has been said often (not sure who the original author is): "The tech industry needs to learn to distinguish between hate speech and speech they hate." This is clearly the latter.
    Ban FB, Twitter, and Reddit as well and I'll believe it.
    yojimbo007JWSCanonconformistanantksundaramelijahgmobirdfahlmanadhausroakethe1maximus
  • Reply 8 of 103
    fordeefordee Posts: 31member
    bakerzdosen said:
    Yeah, this is a bad look for Apple. I have no desire to download Parler (other than the obvious "this is forbidden, I must have it" draw) but to say it's due to hate speech when you can find exactly that on several currently approved apps (as has been mentioned above: Twitter, Reddit, Facebook etc) is disingenuous at best.
    As has been said often (not sure who the original author is): "The tech industry needs to learn to distinguish between hate speech and speech they hate." This is clearly the latter.
    Ban FB, Twitter, and Reddit as well and I'll believe it.
    That’s just whataboutism. I agree that those social platforms need to do a better job, but they are making an effort. After all they banned Trump.
    doozydozenbloggerblogkillroyroundaboutnowtommikeleOferRayz2016drdavidcornchipdelreyjones
  • Reply 9 of 103
    fastasleepfastasleep Posts: 6,417member
    You have got to be kidding. Apple, seriously, putting out this statement and yet they allow facebook, twitter, reddit and just take a look at the top hip hop songs on Apple Music. Disgusting. Apple is spitting in your face and telling you it's raining. 
    The other platforms actively moderate their content, even if they’re not perfect at it. I’m going to wager that Parler’s claims about their moderation are disingenuous at best, and Apple’s not stupid enough to fall for that. 
     
    Hip hop? LOL
    edited March 2021 bloggerblogkillroyroundaboutnowtommikeleCloudTalkinOferRayz2016drdavidGeorgeBMacigorsky
  • Reply 10 of 103
    n2macsn2macs Posts: 87member
    crowley said:
    Good, but heaven knows why it was allowed in the first place. Absolute cesspool. 
    Parler is no different than facebook or twitter.
    anantksundaramelijahgzeus423fahlmanGG1libertyandfree
  • Reply 11 of 103
    davidmalcolmdavidmalcolm Posts: 384member
    Given how ridiculous their user base behaved when they were first kicked off, I hope Apple is careful not to allow them back. Because as soon as they get back on they’ll start allowing insane content again and they’ll freak out if Apple gives them the boot again. 
    I can actually see some of these wack jobs targeting one of Apple’s buildings or stores in a domestic attack. It’s best for Apple to just keep saying that their moderation policies aren’t good enough. 
    killroyOferRayz2016drdaviduraharadelreyjoneswatto_cobra
  • Reply 12 of 103
    xbitxbit Posts: 390member
    bakerzdosen said:
    As has been said often (not sure who the original author is): "The tech industry needs to learn to distinguish between hate speech and speech they hate." This is clearly the latter.
    Apologises for Godwinning this thread but Apple has specifically called out Nazi symbols in its rejection. If you don’t think neo-Nazis are engaging in hate speech then I really wonder where you draw the line.

    And, yes, dig deep enough and you’ll find the same content on the other social media platforms. The difference being that the other social media platforms on iOS have guidance banning such groups - even if their enforcement of the rules is inconsistent.
    killroyFileMakerFellerroundaboutnowOferRayz2016drdavidGeorgeBMacdelreyjonesdysamoriawatto_cobra
  • Reply 13 of 103
    yojimbo007yojimbo007 Posts: 1,165member

    1st off let me say that i am no fan of Parlor... 

    But this is cancel culture continuing in full force... and its big tech flexing their muscles at whatever they find disagreeable to their agenda/opinions!


     If Apple’s argument is to be considered valid and with merit ... then why are Tweeter and Facebook still allowed to  be in the App store..They are flooded with same kind objectionable content.  FLOODED!!!

    In fact, to quote “simple searches can easily reveal highly objectionable content  including easily identified offensive uses of derogatory terms regarding race, religion and sexual orientation, as well as Nazi symbols” In BOTH OF THOSE PLATFORMS.


    The Hypocrisy and Double Standards and Tyrannical behavior by the indoctrinated tech  is nauseating and, imo, incredibly  dangerous to the foundational values of USA.  FREE SPEECH! and the Cosntitution. ...

    Apple and alike.. im not saying Hate speech is a good thing. not even close... but your hypocritical/ selective  Virtue signaling IS  total Horse S—t!

    JWSCelijahgzeus423mobirdfahlmanadhausthe1maximusGG1
  • Reply 14 of 103
    yojimbo007yojimbo007 Posts: 1,165member

    fastasleep said:
    You have got to be kidding. Apple, seriously, putting out this statement and yet they allow facebook, twitter, reddit and just take a look at the top hip hop songs on Apple Music. Disgusting. Apple is spitting in your face and telling you it's raining. 
    The other platforms actively moderate their content, even if they’re not perfect at it. I’m going to wager that Parler’s claims about their moderation are disingenuous at best, and Apple’s not stupid enough to fall for that. 
     
    Hip hop? LOL
    yup the sky any color that suits your misguided beliefs! 
    fahlman
  • Reply 15 of 103
    yojimbo007yojimbo007 Posts: 1,165member

    xbit said:
    bakerzdosen said:
    As has been said often (not sure who the original author is): "The tech industry needs to learn to distinguish between hate speech and speech they hate." This is clearly the latter.
    Apologises for Godwinning this thread but Apple has specifically called out Nazi symbols in its rejection. If you don’t think neo-Nazis are engaging in hate speech then I really wonder where you draw the line.

    And, yes, dig deep enough and you’ll find the same content on the other social media platforms. The difference being that the other social media platforms on iOS have guidance banning such groups - even if their enforcement of the rules is inconsistent.
    Does not take any digging!  its blatantly there!
    zeus423fahlmanGG1
  • Reply 16 of 103
    dominikhoffmanndominikhoffmann Posts: 72member
    crowley said:
    Good, but heaven knows why it was allowed in the first place. Absolute cesspool. 
    What’s your definition of “cesspool?”

    Mine is pornography, foul language and threats, especially to children. I hope our definitions have some intersection.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 17 of 103
    sdw2001sdw2001 Posts: 18,016member
    fordee said:
    bakerzdosen said:
    Yeah, this is a bad look for Apple. I have no desire to download Parler (other than the obvious "this is forbidden, I must have it" draw) but to say it's due to hate speech when you can find exactly that on several currently approved apps (as has been mentioned above: Twitter, Reddit, Facebook etc) is disingenuous at best.
    As has been said often (not sure who the original author is): "The tech industry needs to learn to distinguish between hate speech and speech they hate." This is clearly the latter.
    Ban FB, Twitter, and Reddit as well and I'll believe it.
    That’s just whataboutism. I agree that those social platforms need to do a better job, but they are making an effort. After all they banned Trump.
    Ask yourself why they banned him.   And on what grounds.  
    zeus423adhaushodarJanNLGG1watto_cobra
  • Reply 18 of 103
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member
    n2macs said:
    crowley said:
    Good, but heaven knows why it was allowed in the first place. Absolute cesspool. 
    Parler is no different than facebook or twitter.
    Insufficient moderation is still better than no moderation.
    roundaboutnowOferdrdavidxbitdysamoria
  • Reply 19 of 103
    notproustnotproust Posts: 3member
    This is appalling and disgraceful for Tim Cook.  The hypocrisy here is monumental and morally repellent in the extreme. Not only have Twitter  and Facebook done the same or worse -- as others have noted above   -- Apple itself spent years manufacturing its products in China in cooperation with a Communist regime that practices well documented genocide (replete with mass rapes) of the Uyghurs and Tibetans while practicing enforced organ transplants on the Falun Gong followers.  But still  Apple pronounces Parler unfit because, what, some fools decided to riot in the Capitol.not a single one of them, as it turned out, even carrying a gun.  If you call that an "insurrection" you haven't seen a real one.  And yet Apple did nothing in response to the concentration camps in Xinjiang Province we have been hearing about for years.  PATHETIC and NAUSEATING>
    anonconformistelijahgzeus423mobirdfahlmanadhaushodarJanNLGG1
  • Reply 20 of 103
    n2macsn2macs Posts: 87member
    I’m a long time Apple user and stockholder. I think they are taking censorship and cancel culture too far. Apple is successful because of their great products and services. Not their social/political opinions.
    anantksundaramelijahgzeus423mobirdfahlmanadhausnotproustbluefire1hodarwickytam
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