BREAKING: Apple is currently threatening to ban Parler -- the free speech alternative to Twitter

[mystery-ak]

Sean Davis
@seanmdav
BREAKING: Apple is currently threatening to ban Parler -- the free speech alternative to Twitter -- unless the service enacts draconian censorship policies demanded by left-wing Big Tech oligarchs, according to two sources familiar with Apple's threats.
3:43 PM · Jan 8, 2021·Twitter Web App

[mountaineer]

They won, but still fear the opposition.

Kurt Schlichter  @KurtSchlichter
The left's orgasmic pleasure at the thought of being able to, for a moment, silence any opponents should tell you all you need to know.
5:29 PM · Jan 8, 2021

https://twitter.com/KurtSchlichter/status/1347671914974564353

[mountaineer]

Dan Bongino, whom I believe is a co-owner of Parler, posted this:

Dan Bongino
27 minutes ago ·
@ Dbongino

🚨 CRITICAL MESSAGE🚨
Monopolist Apple is threatening to pull the Parler App from the App Store.
This is clearly an ideological decision, not a principled one. We are having a police state forced down our throats and the big-tech/big-govt symbiote is more than happy to crush free speech and any ideological opposition to the liberal agenda. Please spread the word and echo this post to spread the word about this destructive war on civil liberties!

[mountaineer]

Good grief, it's really on.

Facebook Will Ban And Delete All Photos And Videos Of Any Aspect Of Wednesday Protests
January 6, 2021
 By Tristan Justice

Facebook announced it would be stripping all photos and videos featuring Wednesday’s riots at the U.S. Capitol, claiming such content promoted criminal activity. ...

At this point,” the company wrote, “they represent promotion of criminal activity which violates our policies.” No such widespread censorship was afforded to the left-wing riots erupting last year, killing at least 30 people while reporters stood in front of burning blazes and characterized the events as “peaceful protests.” ...

Story at The Federalist

Reporting a news event now constitutes promotion of criminal activity. Newspeak, courtesy of Big Tech.

[mystery-ak]

Google suspends Parler from app store, urges tighter content moderation
By Rebecca Klar - 01/08/21 08:11 PM EST

Google on Friday suspended social media platform Parler from its app store while joining Apple in calling on the platform to tighten its content moderation rules or risk permanent removal.

Google said in a statement it is suspending Parler, an app popular among conservatives that has gained popularity in recent months over its hands-off approach to content moderation, due to "continued posting" in the app that it said "seeks to incite ongoing violence in the U.S.”

“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 spots that incite violence. All developers agree to these terms and we have reminded Parler of this clear policy in recent months,” the company said in a statement.


“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 statement continued.

Google said that in light of “this ongoing and urgent public safety threat,” it is suspending Parler listings from the Play Store until it “addresses these issues.”

Apple similarly threatened to ban Parler from its app store, BuzzFeed News reported Friday.

more
https://thehill.com/policy/technology/533451-google-apple-tell-parler-to-tighten-moderation-or-risk-removal-from-app

[txradioguy]

Apple is threatening the same thing.  But so far it's still showing up on the App Store on my phone.

[HoustonSam]

Google suspends Parler from app store, urges tighter content moderation
By Rebecca Klar - 01/08/21 08:11 PM EST

Google on Friday suspended social media platform Parler from its app store while joining Apple in calling on the platform to tighten its content moderation rules or risk permanent removal.

Google said in a statement it is suspending Parler, an app popular among conservatives that has gained popularity in recent months over its hands-off approach to content moderation, due to "continued posting" in the app that it said "seeks to incite ongoing violence in the U.S.”

“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 spots that incite violence. All developers agree to these terms and we have reminded Parler of this clear policy in recent months,” the company said in a statement.


“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 statement continued.

Google said that in light of “this ongoing and urgent public safety threat,” it is suspending Parler listings from the Play Store until it “addresses these issues.”

Apple similarly threatened to ban Parler from its app store, BuzzFeed News reported Friday.

more
https://thehill.com/policy/technology/533451-google-apple-tell-parler-to-tighten-moderation-or-risk-removal-from-app

Not a social media user, but I just downloaded the Parler app from the Apple app store.

[BassWrangler]

Apple is threatening the same thing.  But so far it's still showing up on the App Store on my phone.

Apple has given them 24 hours to remove "objectionable content", otherwise they will remove the Parler app from the app store.

So now we have Twitter, Facebook, Google, and Apple all censoring content that doesn't tow the leftist party line. All mainstream media is already leftist.

Folks, this is not just an assault on free speech, it's the END of free speech in this country.

[Elderberry]

You'll still be able to sideload it.

[BassWrangler]

You'll still be able to sideload it.

Who cares. This is beyond the ability of 99.999% of the US population.

[txradioguy]

@realrushlimbaugh has been suspended by Twitter as well.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

Why do you need the app, can't you just use the web version?

[IsailedawayfromFR]

Right now, I would be careful of using any social media account, unfortunately even this one.

The left is now in control, and they will use that power to identify and to criminalize those who stand against them.

[BassWrangler]

Why do you need the app, can't you just use the web version?

That's true, but do you think this is the last step they will take? The point is, people have been saying "Twitter is a private company. It's not a free speech issue. if you don't like their policy, go elsewhere". So people started doing just that. So now the tech tyrants do what they can to ban access to these alternative platforms.  They don't like it, so they remove your ability to install the app on your phone. What's next, blocking the URL in the phone browser? Just because it's not a 100% foolproof means of blocking access (yet) doesn't mean it's not extremely concerning. Making something hard to access, limiting its reach, is an assault on free speech. Parler isn't an established, financially secure company. This move by Google and Apple might lead to Parler going out of business.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

That's true, but do you think this is the last step they will take? The point is, people have been saying "Twitter is a private company. It's not a free speech issue. if you don't like their policy, go elsewhere". So people started doing just that. So now the tech tyrants do what they can to ban access to these alternative platforms.  They don't like it, so they remove your ability to install the app on your phone. What's next, blocking the URL in the phone browser? Just because it's not a 100% foolproof means of blocking access (yet) doesn't mean it's not extremely concerning. Making something hard to access, limiting its reach, is an assault on free speech. Parler isn't an established, financially secure company. This move by Google and Apple might lead to Parler going out of business.

Actually blocking a site would need to be done by the phone company. If the OS did it, IMO it'd be class actionable... you cannot really choose a different OS for your phone.

It wont' work. Content is king. We always got shortwave radio. Tor browser. VPN's etc. There are a million ways. If people want parler they will get Parler. Hell Stormfront is still on the web isn't it?

The more they try to clamp down, the more dissenters will slip through the cracks. They are now losing their moral victories from Wednesday IMO.

[BassWrangler]

Actually blocking a site would need to be done by the phone company. If the OS did it, IMO it'd be class actionable... you cannot really choose a different OS for your phone.

It wont' work. Content is king. We always got shortwave radio. Tor browser. VPN's etc. There are a million ways. If people want parler they will get Parler. Hell Stormfront is still on the web isn't it?

The more they try to clamp down, the more dissenters will slip through the cracks. They are now losing their moral victories from Wednesday IMO.

And in the Soviet union they had ways around it too. That doesn't mean that censorship wasn't a big problem in the Soviet union.

[txradioguy]

If ever there was a perfect time for BlackBerry to revive its BB10 operating system and app store...it would be now.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

And in the Soviet union they had ways around it too. That doesn't mean that censorship wasn't a big problem in the Soviet union.

It's definitely a flaw in the libertarian approach to the internet. But content is still king IMO.

[BassWrangler]

If ever there was a perfect time for BlackBerry to revive its BB10 operating system and app store...it would be now.

I loved my Blackberry when I had one.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

I loved my Blackberry when I had one.

Ditto. I was going to say that wasn't the name of the BB OS, but maybe it was. I was actually thinking about PalmOS... the OS for Palm Pilots. Remember those? I did a college project on PalmOS.

[txradioguy]

I loved my Blackberry when I had one.

It was the superior OS and phone before they went to the Android OS.

Make Parler, MeWe and Proton Mail built in default social media and email apps, along with the best text messaging platform ever...BB Messenger.

We really need the old BlackBerry more than ever to level the playing field with Android and iPhone. Wish they would just start simple again with BB10. I could care less about the apps. Just give us a secure phone with secure email running BB10.

[BassWrangler]

It was the superior OS and phone before they went to the Android OS.

Make Parler, MeWe and Proton Mail built in default social media and email apps, along with the best text messaging platform ever...BB Messenger.

We really need the old BlackBerry more than ever to level the playing field with Android and iPhone. Wish they would just start simple again with BB10. I could care less about the apps. Just give us a secure phone with secure email running BB10.

I loved the "PIN message" feature that was like text messages. It was almost instantaneous. I remember sitting in a meeting with a vendor and messaging back and forth with one of my coworkers to coordinate the questions we would ask the vendor. Of course, nowadays we have similar features on other platforms, but at the time it was very innovative.

[BassWrangler]

Ditto. I was going to say that wasn't the name of the BB OS, but maybe it was. I was actually thinking about PalmOS... the OS for Palm Pilots. Remember those? I did a college project on PalmOS.

I do remember that. I had a Palm Pilot myself.

[BassWrangler]

Was just over on Parler. It's totally broken. I guess their servers are overloaded.

It took Twitter a long time to create a platform that could scale to the level it scales too. I get the feeling that Parler doesn't have a deep talent pool at this time, so it remains to be seen if they can survive this.

[BassWrangler]

Great discussion of what's going on with big tech and the democrats on Tucker Carlson's show tonight. I urge every one to watch the first segment:


https://youtu.be/y8wMRBoQH88