Parler Returns to the App Store With Improved Moderation

[siddavis]

Parler is just one big right wing/hate speech echo chamber (similar to facebook, but even worse). The app was used to coordinate the 1/6 insurrection and basically had no guardrails to prevent such a thing.

Uh, no it wasn't. At least not any more that other social media apps that received no attention from Apple. In fact, it was demonstrated that Twitter and FB (mostly FB) were used by the 1/6 idiots to organize. Link to not exactly conservative friendly site.

Your post is a perfect example of "misinformation" that should not be banned, but instead proven otherwise with facts.

 

[siddavis]

I wonder if they'll need to beef up Capitol security after hearing this.

Why would that be? Is a Bernie Sanders supporter ready to open fire on Republicans again?

 

[deevey]

It's not healthy to have such a large part of our population believing in conspiracy theories and nonsense.

They already do via "legitimate" sources like Fox, CNN etc ..

The problem is people (in general) are lazy and blindly believe everything they read from a single source rather than researching and confirming the information for themselves.

(As of yet) they have not been able to regulate stupidity.

 

[DNichter]

Uh, no it wasn't. At least not any more that other social media apps that received no attention from Apple. In fact, it was demonstrated that Twitter and FB (mostly FB) were used by the 1/6 idiots to organize. Link to not exactly conservative friendly site.

Your post is a perfect example of "misinformation" that should not be banned, but instead proven otherwise with facts.

Parler was used, just like Facebook. The two are one in the same in my eyes. It's not misinformation at all.

When Trump started his speech before the Capitol riot, talk on Parler turned to civil war

Text analysis shows calls for civil war intensified on the right-leaning social media app Parler as Trump urged his followers to march on the Capitol.

www.usatoday.com

 

[siddavis]

I've always been very passionate about free speech, but that doesn't mean that moderation is completely unnecessary. If you showed up at a city council meeting and started openly planning an attack on the US Capitol building with other attendees you'd be taken away in cuffs and it wouldn't be considered protected speech.

That's correct because it would be illegal activity. THAT is the difference. Participating in or promoting illegal activity is not protected speech. We already have laws in place for this, the tyrants just wanna tyrant.

 

[matrix07]

No, the crazies are the ones who need protecting. Why have free speech if you’re going to allow only “tolerated opinions.”

(I know that private companies don’t have to follow the bill of rights, but I’m of the opinion that, when you turn a website into a public forum, you have to allow pretty much anything. (By anything, I mean, if you could talk about it at a city council meeting and would get dragged away, it should be allowed.))

There is no value when some crazies spread lies like HC was dead many months ago. There are just no value for “opinion” like this.

 

[jjudson]

I don’t feel this app should have ever returned to the App even with improved moderation. It’s still banned in the Google Play Store.

Social media as a whole is a pox on our culture and society. If you think Parler is any worse than Twitter, you either have blinders on or haven't been paying attention.

 

[siddavis]

Parler was used, just like Facebook. The two are one in the same in my eyes. It's not misinformation at all.

When Trump started his speech before the Capitol riot, talk on Parler turned to civil war

Text analysis shows calls for civil war intensified on the right-leaning social media app Parler as Trump urged his followers to march on the Capitol.

www.usatoday.com

Fair enough. In the context of this thread though, your post makes it seem like it was the singular tip of the spear and therefore deserved its banishment. I guess my point is that the same fate should apply to the other platforms that claim to curate lollypop and ice cream land, and that singling out Parler is just a continuation of the partisan approach. In fact, it fuels the thinking that there is a concerted effort to silence those of a political leaning.

 

[2010mini]

It's good to see the fascists and Nazis now have a platform to speak. I was starting to worry about their 1st amendment rights. /s

Their right wasn't taken away. You have a right to free speech. You don't have a right to use a private business' platform to speak.

 

[DNichter]

Fair enough. In the context of this thread though, your post makes it seem like it was the singular tip of the spear and therefore deserved its banishment. I guess my point is that the same fate should apply to the other platforms that claim to curate lollypop and ice cream land, and that singling out Parler is just a continuation of the partisan approach. In fact, it fuels the thinking that there is a concerted effort to silence those of a political leaning.

I called out Facebook in the same post. I actually think your approach/post does the very that you are insinuating. Twitter has at least taken some steps to mitigate the spread of misinformation and hate speech - to go by the lazy trope of "it happens on all platforms" negates just how bad Facebook and Parler are when it comes to misinformation and hate speech.

 

[JM]

Well this isn't political at all, and just presenting a (what I think) is a good idea.

Maybe all social media should have a few checkpoints to get through before posting.... like "Are you sure you want to post this? You will be held responsible for saying this by your peers, friends, and family, and quite possibly the entire world. Do you potentially want a lot of bad attention and your life ruined if your post upsets enough people? If so, click yes and post"

"you have selected yes. Do you agree that this post will make the world a better place?"

"you agree this post will make the world a better place. Would you say this post to someone's face out loud in front of a stage of your work place/high school/college/etc.?"

"okay, good luck! We hope your responsible posting turns out well for you. Have a nice day!"

-posted ironically and with full knowledge of doing so

 

[2010mini]

Well..... Parlor will be happy to have their app pushed to the top of the store again because some people can't spell.

 

[jimbobb24]

Meanwhile Twitter is a festival of hate and cheering on violence. But I heard some cops shot an unarmed lady at the capital building and somehow parlor was connected so they had to go. Or something.

 

[benshive]

Why would that be? Is a Bernie Sanders supporter ready to open fire on Republicans again?

Seems a bit silly conflating an attack by a single person with a coordinated attack on a government building involving thousands and obvious pre-planning, no?

 

[IIGS User]

Hate speech is one thing but I wish they also had some restrictions on misinformation as well. It's not healthy to have such a large part of our population believing in conspiracy theories and nonsense. I don't think Apple should support that on their platform.

"Hate" has been a part of humanity since the dawn of time.

One person's conspiracy, is always another person's truth. The term "nonsense" could mean anything from gibberish text to the idea that Phrenology and Eugenics are "science". At one time, they WERE considered "settled" science and beyond impeachment. Today, we know this is pure quackery. At one time in US history, POC were considered genetically inferior, and to opine otherwise was almost blasphemy.

The potential to be offended or appalled is the price we pay for the free and open exchange of ideas, and the argument of viewpoints. Once an arbitrary gatekeeper becomes the holder of the proverbial keys to the door, they cross over from being a platform provider to publisher.

There's plenty of wackadoodle stuff going on other social media platforms that Apple allows in the App store. I for one, left social media some months ago due to the anger and vitriol, particularly on the political level. That was my choice to make, though. There's plenty of hate on Twitter, and I mean it's BAD. I don't even have a Twitter account, and some of the stuff I see is really out there. I mean, the leader of Iran has a Twitter account where the persecution of LGTQB people and Jews is frequently advocated and yet that's considered "moderated". Sorry if I call BS on it.

Apple decided to get political and ban Parler because of it's association with Trump. It's not about "moderation". Enough time has elapsed, and Orange Man has for the most part, kept his mouth shut long enough that things have cooled down. That's why they're allowing it.

Given the free flow of angry messy messages in the public square, and the arbitrary gatekeeping of thoughts and ideas, I'll take the former every time. It gives me a chance to see who the wackadoodles are and keep away from them. Otherwise, they hide in the shadows and multiply.

Apple was wrong on this, IMHO. It was a political move, and it doesn't matter what your political bend is, I think it's bad business to mix business and politics, unless your business is politics driven. I don't want to drink a Coke and think politics. I don't want to buy an iPhone and think politics. I don't want to go to a ball game and think politics. I'm just too damn old for it. I want to relax and enjoy myself on occasion. Not be forced to participate.

BTW, I've never been on Parler or Twitter. I have a FB I walked away from after the election. Primarily becuase everyone seemed to see politics in everything I posted. I would post a cat video, the righties thought it was some sort of leftist statement, and the lefties thought I was some sort of MAG-OT. It's just a cat. I just like cats.

So I walked away. I don't want to be bothered, and no one can force me to participate.

 

[genovelle]

Twitter has better lobbyists and PR so they get a pass for doing the same thing.

Hasn’t Twitter been marking post with fact checks?

 

[siddavis]

Seems a bit silly conflating an attack by a single person with a coordinated attack on a government building involving thousands and obvious pre-planning, no?

You are right, it was a pretty stupid post.
These are better examples:

Rioters Set Fire to Federal Courthouse in Portland One Day after Fencing Removed

Rioters targeted the federal courthouse in Portland, Ore., on Thursday evening in renewed clashes between demonstrators and federal police. The attack on the courthouse came one day after authorities removed fencing initially erected over the summer, in response to continued riots following the...

news.yahoo.com

After Kavanaugh confirmation, protesters chant, pound on Supreme Court door

U.S. Capitol Police said a total of 164 people were arrested during the protests for "crowding, obstructing, or incommoding."

www.nbcnews.com

Sen. Rand Paul: I was 'attacked by an angry mob' following Republican National Convention

Democratic Georgia State Representative Vernon Jones, who controversially endorsed Donald Trump, was also approached by protesters in Washington, D.C.

www.msn.com

Breaking Video: Protesters Begin Storming White House Barricades

Protesters began knocking down police barricades at the White House in Washington DC videos on Social Media show. Videos show them kicking down and trying to remove the outermost barrier outside of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Is The Whitehouse next to go down?pic.twitter.com/NjatC8JOuj — Yellow Red...

www.americafirstprojects.com

All coordinated to some degree on social media platforms... that have not been banned.

 

[whsbuss]

Parler is just one big right wing/hate speech/misinformation echo chamber (similar to facebook, but even worse). The app was used to coordinate the 1/6 insurrection and basically had no guardrails to prevent such a thing.

And Twitter is just one big left wing/hate speech/misinformation chamber..... so lets have both

 

[spartan1967]

Twitter has better lobbyists and PR so they get a pass for doing the same thing.

Twitter has also banned people for life because of hate filled speech.

 

[DNichter]

And Twitter is just one big left wing/hate speech/misinformation chamber..... so lets have both

Always amusing that the radical right can't just say that Parler is problematic with the hate speed and misinformation that they spew. Whataboutism at its finest, it's the Republican way.

Anyway, yes Twitter has some of the same issues, but has taken meaningful steps to reduce hate speech and the spread of misinformation (this is all Parler needs to do). They were late, as many other platforms were (2016 was the wake up call for most), but did take steps prior to meaningful events of contention like the 2020 election and the 1/6 insurrection.

 

[Lowhangers]

QUESTION: Who gets to define what “hate” is? Apple? Parler?

QUESTION 2: Why did Apple single out Parler when Facebook and Twitter are filled with disgusting porn, vicious personal attacks, and other assorted nastiness. Yet Parler was the only one removed by Google, Apple and removed from Amazon’s cloud service?

 

[pearvsapple]

They got banned because they aren't causing regular riots for the liberal side. But that one-time "raid" on the capital is apparently more devastating than the nonstop riots from BLM on actual cities.

 

[ghanwani]

It's all over for the alternative social media platforms. They are don't work as well and very vulnerable to being completely disabled.

 

[Trik]

For people comparing Parler to Twitter and Facebook... no. Apple pulled the app because they had no review enforcement.

Is there hate speech on Twitter and Facebook? Yes absolutely. If you flag the content as objectionable for reasons of Hate (or otherwise) does it get reviewed in a timely manner? Yes, absolutely. Does the content get removed? Yes. Was Hate or seditious content being removed from Parler in a timely manner? No. Therefore, Apple removed the entire app.

Saying this is a double standard is complete BS... Apple knows as well as anyone else that having an app that allows users to post content means some users will post objectionable content. They aren't saying that cannot happen, they're saying you have to make a "best effort" approach to removing content when it is identified. Parler wasn't doing that.

 

[BreakingKayfabe]

The pillbillies will still have something to complain about though.