Parler’s Android app has been reinstated to the Google Play Store

The Android app for the social network Parler has been reinstated into the Google Play Store, 18 months after its removal.

Just two days after the January 6 attack on the US Capitol, the Play Store removed Parler — a social network built as an alternative to the likes of Facebook and Twitter — making it more difficult for Android users to install it. The key differentiator of Parler at the time – and part of what made the app appealing to its users – was the service’s far more relaxed moderation policies.

At the time of removal, that policy was precisely what Google’s Play Store team cited as the reason for Parler’s Android app being delisted. In the 18 months since that removal, Parler’s users have needed to manually download the Android app, while Apple fully reinstated the social network’s iOS app in May 2021. Apple’s decision last year was based on Parler’s assurance that they would detect and moderate hate speech.

Today, over a year after Apple reinstated Parler to its App Store, the Play Store has given approval for Parler to once again be easily available on Android, even at the same location as its original listing. The new listing shows August 28 as Parler’s most recent update, and the company claims that this is a “new version” of the Android app, bringing it in line with the iOS release.

We’re back! This is a new version of the Parler app for Google Play with all the same features available on iOS. Register, read Parleys, create your own, comment, upvote and echo. We look forward to everyone speaking freely with us!

In a statement given to Axios, Google points to the Play Store’s policy of allowing any app that follows the platform’s policies and guidelines, including the requirement that content is moderated.

As we’ve long stated, apps are able to appear on Google Play provided they comply with Play’s developer policies.

All apps on Google Play that feature User Generated Content (UGC) are required to implement robust moderation practices that prohibit objectionable content, provide an in-app system for reporting objectionable UGC, take action against that UGC where appropriate, and remove or block abusive users who violate the app’s terms of use and/or user policy.

— Google spokesperson