I'm not sure how I feel about this.
But as long as crazy Trumpworld talk continues fomenting violence and death, I say fuck 'em both.
Apple has a right to protect itself from liability in Parler-promoted violence, sedition or what have you.
I believe in freedom of speech and a free press.
Trump, like other fascists before him, fought to tear down that institution on his march to power.
I think we can all agree that it's time for the damage to stop.
Fuck that guy.
https://www.cnet.com/news/apple-repo...l-hill-attack/
Apple reportedly threatens to ban Parler app after Capitol Hill attack
James Martin/CNET
Apple told Parler it'll ban the social network's app from its app store if it doesn't start to moderate its content better, BuzzFeed reported Friday. The warning comes two days after a mob of Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol, an event Apple reportedly said Parler's platform could have facilitated. Parler has been rife with violent comments since before the attack on the Capitol.
"We have received numerous complaints regarding objectionable content in your Parler service, accusations that the Parler app was used to plan, coordinate, and facilitate the illegal activities in Washington D.C. on January 6, 2021 that led (among other things) to loss of life, numerous injuries, and the destruction of property. The app also appears to continue to be used to plan and facilitate yet further illegal and dangerous activities," Apple warned Parler on Friday, according to Buzzfeed.
Apple didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.
In a Parler post, Chief Executive John Matze challenged Apple's position and said it doesn't hold Twitter or Facebook to the same standard. "Apparently they believe Parler is responsible for ALL user generated content on Parler," he said. "By the same logic, Apple must be responsible for ALL actions taken by their phones. Every car bomb, every illegal cell phone conversation, every illegal crime committed on an iPhone, Apple must also be responsible for."
The App Store is the only way to distribute apps to iPhones, so banishment poses a serious challenge to online services. However, they often can still be reached through websites.
Apple's reported effort is an example of "deplatforming," an attempt to curtail disinformation, racist remarks, incitements to violence and other problematic communications. The modern internet provides an abundance of platforms to directly communicate to millions of people, and it's proven challenging to balance the benefits of online discussion with the drawbacks.
Content crackdown on social media
The biggest example of deplatforming happened Friday when Twitter permanently suspended President Donald Trump's account "due to the risk of further incitement of violence."
After deaths, vandalism and property damage -- not to mention an insult to a national symbol of democracy -- social media sites have been taking a harder stance against activity they see as dangerous. Facebook and Instagram blocked Trump from new posts for a time. Reddit cut off The_Donald, a major right-wing discussion forum and Twitter banned several high-profile accounts associated with the right-wing, bogus QAnon conspiracy theory.
It's not clear if Google is considering similar action for Android phones. The company didn't respond to a request for comment.
In a Friday tweet, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a prominent New York Democrat, called for Google and Apple to take action after reported calls for violence on Parler.
Parler's growing importance
Parler is growing in importance to right-wing activists as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram have placed restrictions on Trump's social media accounts after loyalists stormed the Capitol on Wednesday.
"Our investigation has found that Parler is not effectively moderating and removing content that encourages illegal activity and poses a serious risk to the health and safety of users in direct violation of your own terms of service," Apple reportedly told Parler, citing a handful of examples purportedly showing violent threats. "Content of this dangerous and harmful nature is not appropriate for the App Store. As you know from prior conversations with App Review, Apple requires apps with user generated content to effectively moderate to ensure objectionable, potentially harmful content is filtered out. Content that threatens the well being of others or is intended to incite violence or other lawless acts has never been acceptable on the App Store."