Controversial social network Parler has officially relaunched on the iOS App Store. But this time, the free speech app is promising to filter out certain kinds of content.
The content moderation was a requirement to getting the social network relisted on the iOS App Store. Back in January, Apple pulled Parler, citing the hate speech and calls for violence over the platform after a pro-Trump mob stormed the US Capitol on Jan. 6.
In a statement on Monday, Parler said: “Adhering to Apple's requirements, Parler’s iOS app excludes some content that Parler otherwise allows.
“The company has now added to its process algorithms that automatically detect violent or inciting content, while still preserving user privacy,” the statement added.
The company didn’t elaborate on the content-moderation system. But under Apple’s App Store rules, Parler must filter out any “objectionable” user-generated content “that is offensive, insensitive, upsetting, intended to disgust, in exceptionally poor taste, or just plain creepy.”
This includes calls for violence, “inflammatory religious commentary,” and defamatory and discriminatory speech toward people of a certain race, sexual orientation, or gender.
The content moderation undercuts Parler’s claim-to-fame as a free speech social network. However, the company says iOS users can still view the content on the platform unfiltered. This can be done by visiting the web-based version of Parler or by sideloading the Android version of the app. (Google Play took down the app in January.)
“Anything allowed on the Parler network but not in the iOS app will remain accessible through our web-based and Android versions. This is a win-win for Parler, its users, and free speech,” Parler’s interim CEO, Mark Meckler, said in a statement. The company also plans to hold continued talks with Apple on optimizing the content moderation on the iOS version of Parler.
Despite Parler's return to iOS, there are some signs its users are already quitting the platform, due to repeated outages, according to Salon. The company also previously planned on returning to the iOS App Store back during the week of April 26. But for some reason, it delayed the relaunch to this Monday. Parler didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.