Name: Amazon, Apple, Google ban Parler app in wake of Capitol Hill violence
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Amazon, Apple, Google ban Parler app in wake of Capitol Hill violence

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FollowThe app was used to help organize the Capitol Hill attack, pushing tech companies to reckon with the part they played in the riot.Stephen ShanklandPrincipal writierStephen Shankland has been a reporter at CNET since 1998 and writes about processors, digital photography, AI, quantum computing, computer science, materials science, supercomputers, drones, browsers, 3D printing, USB, and new computing technology in general. He has a soft spot in his heart for standards groups and I/O interfaces. His first big scoop was about radioactive cat poop.Edward MoyerSenior Editor / NewsEdward Moyer is a senior editor at CNET News and a many-year veteran of the writing and editing world. He enjoys taking sentences apart and putting them back together. He also likes making them from scratch.Ian SherrEditor at Large / NewsIan Sherr (he/him/his) grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, so he's always had a connection to the tech world. Currently, he writes about Apple, Microsoft, VR, video games, and internet troubles. Aside from writing, he tinkers with tech at home, is a longtime fencer -- the kind with swords -- and began woodworking during the pandemic.6 min read, and have banned the Parler social networking app from their services and app stores in the wake of Wednesday's . Parler&nbsp;&nbsp;since before the attack on the Capitol, and Apple and Google say they'll restore the app only when Parler moderates its service better.Parler Chief Executive John Matze posted on his service late Saturday that Amazon had informed him it would no longer host his service on its Amazon Web Services platform. The move followed earlier announcements by Apple and Google that they removed the app from their respective app stores as well.&nbsp;"This was a coordinated attack by the tech giants to kill competition in the marketplace," Matze wrote on Saturday, adding that his service had become "too successful too fast." He didn't initially address his platform's or its use by extremists ahead of the Capitol Hill riot. He also didn't mention increasing concerns that social media apps, including Parler, were being in the coming weeks.&nbsp;On Sunday evening, Matze added in a press statement that the company is working to improve moderation to remove prohibited content such as posts that incite or threaten violence. "Parler strives to bring people together and find common ground, peace and healing. We do not condone or accept violence on our platform and we never will," Matze said.As of Monday, Parler was offline. Matze said in a statement late Sunday that "longer than expected" because most of the app's vendors had dropped support following decisions by Amazon, Apple and Google.&nbsp;On Saturday, Apple said in a statement that it had banned Parler from its App Store because the app failed to appropriately police content posted by users.Apple has "always supported diverse points of view being represented on the App Store, but there is no place on our platform for threats of violence and illegal activity," the company said. "Parler has not taken adequate measures to address the proliferation of these threats to people's safety. We have suspended Parler from the App Store until they resolve these issues."The App Store is the only way to distribute apps to , so banishment poses a serious challenge to online services, though they can often still be reached through websites.Apple's move followed Google's decision on Friday to remove Parler's Android app from its Play Store for similar reasons."We're aware of continued posting in the Parler app that seeks to incite ongoing violence in the US," Google said. "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."Read more:&nbsp;&nbsp;Where does the&nbsp;&nbsp;fit in?Donald Trump permanently suspended from TwitterGoogle's ban won't impact Parler as much as Apple's because Android users can "sideload" apps without going through the Play Store. The ability is disabled by default, however.The modern internet provides an abundance of platforms to directly communicate to millions of people, and it's proved challenging to .Matze had posted warnings his app might be removed from Amazon's web services after a group of employees called on the company to act. "We cannot be complicit in more bloodshed and violent attacks on our democracy," Amazon employees wrote in a tweet.&nbsp;Less than a day later, they declared victory. "We demanded Amazon deplatform white supremacists using tech we work on as a bullhorn to incite violence and attack our democracy," the group said. Amazon confirmed Sunday it would boot Parler off its web hosting service.In Apple's case, the iPhone maker&nbsp; on Friday, according to Buzzfeed, demanding the app improve its moderation.&nbsp;"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 reportedly said to Parler. "If we do not receive an update compliant with the App Store Review Guidelines and the requested moderation improvement plan in writing within 24 hours, your app will be removed from the App Store."In a follow-up letter Saturday to Parler's developers, Apple said it was still seeing unacceptable content on Parler.&nbsp;"In your response, you referenced that Parler has been taking this content 'very seriously for weeks,'" Apple wrote. "However, the processes Parler has put in place to moderate or prevent the spread of dangerous and illegal content have proved insufficient. Specifically, we have continued to find direct threats of violence and calls to incite lawless action."And an apparent plan put forward by Parler didn't satisfy Apple."Your response also references a moderation plan 'for the time being,' which does not meet the ongoing requirements" in the App Store's guidelines, Apple wrote. "While there is no perfect system to prevent all dangerous or hateful user content, apps are required to have robust content moderation plans in place to proactively and effectively address these issues. A temporary 'task force' is not a sufficient response given the widespread proliferation of harmful content."Parler didn't respond to a request for comment on Apple's ban either.In a &nbsp;on Friday, Matze challenged Apple's position and said Apple doesn't hold Twitter or 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 . Every car bomb, every illegal cell phone conversation, every illegal crime committed on an iPhone, Apple must also be responsible for."Apple didn't respond to a request for comment on Matze's remarks.The biggest example of deplatforming happened Friday when 's account "due to the risk of further incitement of violence."After the insurrection at the Capitol, which led to&nbsp;, vandalism and the evacuation of Congress -- not to mention the insult to a national and international symbol of democracy -- social media sites have been taking a harder stance against activity they see as dangerous. "indefinitely."&nbsp;, a major right-wing discussion forum, and associated with the right-wing, bogus QAnon conspiracy theory.&nbsp;In a Friday tweet, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a prominent New York Democrat, after reported calls for violence on Parler.Parler is growing in importance to right-wing activists as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram have put the kibosh 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 ," Apple reportedly told Parler on Friday, citing a handful of purportedly . "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."Get the CNET Apple Report newsletterReceive the latest news and reviews on Apple products, iOS updates and more. Delivered Fridays.

FollowThe app was used to help organize the Capitol Hill attack, pushing tech companies to reckon with the part they played in the riot.Stephen ShanklandPrincipal writierStephen Shankland has been a reporter at CNET since 1998 and writes about processors, digital photography, AI, quantum computing, computer science, materials science, supercomputers, drones, browsers, 3D printing, USB, and new computing technology in general. He has a soft spot in his heart for standards groups and I/O interfaces. His first big scoop was about radioactive cat poop.Edward MoyerSenior Editor / NewsEdward...

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CNET, formerly Computer Network, is an American media website that publishes reviews, news, articles, blogs, podcasts, and videos on technology and consumer electronics globally. Founded in 1994 by Halsey Minor and Shelby Bonnie, it was the flagship brand of CNET Networks and became a brand of CBS Interactive through CNET Networks' acquisition in 2008.

Amazon, Apple, Google ban Parler app in wake of Capitol Hill violence

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