On Monday, social media company Parler announced that its IOS app has been put back on Apple’s App Store and is available to download again after months of being banned from the service. In a statement released by Parler, the platform said the decision to reinstate its IOS app arose after months of “productive dialogue.”
“Millions of Parler and Apple customers may once again exercise their right to freely exchange ideas and opinions on social media, without viewpoint discrimination,” the statement from the social media platform read.
Parler’s specific IOS app includes “enhanced threat and incitement reporting tools” in order to comply with Apple’s requests, as well as more strict content moderation. However, other versions of the app made for different platforms do not have the same features.
“Adhering to Apple’s requirements, Parler’s iOS app excludes some content that Parler otherwise allows. However, that content is still visible, at the user’s discretion, on the web-based and Android versions of the platform,” Parler announced.
Parler was kicked off of both Apple and Google’s app stores and was removed from Amazon’s web hosting services shortly after the January 6 Capitol breach. The Big Tech companies asserted that Parler’s moderate content moderation practices were allowing its users to post violent content.
Parler argued that the companies had unfairly targeted the platform, which advocates for free speech, contending that the companies colluded together and “unjustly scapegoated and de-platformed” the social media site.
“The dialogue was complemented by a backdrop of important revelations about Parler’s cooperation with law enforcement in the weeks leading up to January 6, as well as the prevalence of violent and inciting content on competing social media networks during that period,” the reinstated platform stated.
Shortly after the Big Tech companies’ decision, Parler sued amazon alleging that the company breached their contract, defamed the site, and took part in anticompetitive behavior.
“The entire Parler team has worked hard to address Apple’s concerns without compromising our core mission,” Parler CEO Mark Mechler said in a statement on Monday. “a win-win for Parler, its users, and free speech,” he added.
Google has not yet allowed Parler to return to its Google Play Store, although on April 20 the company said, “Parler is welcome back in the Play store once it submits an app that complies with our policies.”
