Apple threatens to ban social media app Parler from its platform if it refuses to censor “offensive” (conservative) content
JD Heyes
During a week in which the social media behemoths have been under fire in Congress and from disgusted Americans angry about Google’s purposeful censoring of conservative, pro-Trump voices with the objective of stealing the 2020 election for a Democrat, Apple flew under the radar for its own bias and censorship.
Until now, that is.
As reported by The Gateway Pundit, Apple has threatened to boot social media company “Parler” off its massive app store platform if they continue refusing to remove “offensive” comment — which, of course, is nothing but a dog whistle that means “conservative” content.
Parler, a First Amendment platform that many view as a viable alternative to Twitter, was founded by John Matze. He revealed this week that Apple officials contacted him more than a week ago by phone to inform him that he has to ban ‘offensive’ content or see his platform deplatformed by the tech giant.
“Obviously by offensive they mean conservative content,” Matze wrote in a Parler post.
“We flat out refused and now we cannot push updates” to the app, he added. “Twitter is exempt from this clause as they generate more hatred than any platform in history.”
Apple has done the same thing to other companies — removed their app from the App Store over “offensive” (conservative) content. That includes the Natural News app, in which Apple banned updates, rendering it essentially moot and ineffective.
In addition, as Natural News has reported, Apple banned a Christian app because it’s teachings about homosexuality were deemed “dangerous.” The app was removed after Left-wing anti-Christian groups convinced (which didn’t take long) Apple officials that the teaching of traditional family groups, traditional marriage, and traditional relationships just couldn’t be tolerated. (Related: Project Veritas bombshell report exposing Google’s likely illegal election meddling completely ignored by the “mainstream” media.)
The affected organization, Living Hope Ministries, is anything but the “hate group” it was portrayed to be. The app in particular was aimed at helping people who were struggling with their feelings and with their faith. “Help people understand who they are in Christ” said Ricky Chelette, the ministry’s executive director. “We only help those individuals who are seeking us.”
Why are the social media behemoths not treated like publishers?
As for Parler, it’s community guidelines state:
Parler desires to stand behind the definition of free speech as laid out in the United States Constitution in order to firmly and clearly state the type of communication that is allowed and that is prohibited within our platform. All users have full control over their account(s) to create and sustain conversations within accepted legal boundaries. Free speech allows users to express themselves on their own profile and spread their message to their followers but it also allows users to avoid speech they do not want to see by blocking/banning or muting content they do not want to see.
Currently, social media companies are protected under the Communications Decency Act, Section 320, which defines them not as publishers who can be liable for content posted but as merely platforms for posted content.
However, by being selective about what kind of content can and cannot be posted to their platforms, the social media behemoths are acting just like publishers and, therefore, ought to be treated as such. If they were, they could be held liable for many violations of speech and content regulations, as well as unconstitutional behavior (like banning people for their political views).
Clearly, some Republicans are getting fed up with the actions of the far-Left tech giants and their purposeful targeted bias against Right-leaning politicians, content, and commentators, as evidenced by the grilling Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and a House colleague from his state, Rep. Dan Crenshaw, gave representatives from the social media companies this week.
The problem is, as a Project Veritas undercover investigation revealed this week, nothing short of forcing these companies to treat users fairly will get them to change their practices.
Read more about the lying, biased tech giants at Biased.news and TechGiants.news.
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