A version of the social network Parler, updated to curb incitement to violence, has been released to return to Apple’s app store, a US Congressman said Monday.
Key technology platforms had disconnected from Parler after supporters of Republican former President Donald Trump attacked the Capitol, killing five people.
They accused the app, backed by well-known Republican Party donor Rebekah Mercer, of failing to monitor violent content on its service.
An Apple team devoted to verifying that apps sent to the App Store are compliant has approved a modified version of Parler that had become popular with conservatives before it was booted from online marketplaces.
The news came from a copy of a letter from Apple that US representative Ken Buck of Colorado posted on Twitter.
“Parler has proposed updates to its app and the app’s content moderation practices,” said the letter signed by Timothy Powderly, America’s senior director of government affairs.
“The proposed updated app will be approved for reinstallation in the App Store.”
Powderly noted in the letter that Apple stood by its independent decision to remove Parler from the App Store following the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by former President Donald Trump’s supporter.
Buck said in his tweet that Parler’s return to the App Store is “a huge win for free speech”.
Parler went dark for about a month after Amazon.com Inc shut down web hosting services. The app did not manage to moderate violent content effectively. Apple’s Google and Alphabet Inc removed it from their app stores.
Parler returned online in February with the Los Angeles-based private cloud infrastructure SkySilk. Its CEO, John Matze, was fired from the board. Parler also sued Amazon, accusing it of trying to destroy its business.
Apple’s letter stated that the updated Parler app would be available immediately when Parler releases it.
Apple said in the letter that in 2020 it rejected about 30,000 apps from the App Store due to problematic user-generated content.
It said it made an independent decision to remove Parler for failing to comply with its guidelines and did not coordinate or consult with Google or Amazon.
Apple CEO Tim Cook said earlier this year that Parler could give the App Store back if it changed the way posts are moderated on the platform.
Nevada-based Parler, which started in 2018, works much like Twitter, with profiles and “Parleys” instead of tweets.
In the beginning, the platform attracted a ton of ultra-conservative and even far-right users. It has since signed many more traditional Republican votes.
(With contributions from agencies)
