Parler, a social media service supported primarily by conservatives, is back on Apple's iOS App Store after being removed following the Jan. 6 events at the U.S. Capitol. The updated version of the app includes "improved reporting tools for threats and incitement," according to the App Store listing.
See also: iPhone users are spending more than ever on the App Store
The updated iOS app will reportedly also filter posts on iPhone and iPad that are labeled “hate” by Parler’s moderation system, though those posts will still be available for viewing on other devices and via the web. Parler has not commented on the matter, but told The Washington Post that it is seeking to find a common ground with Apple.
See also: Spotify: App Store restrictions are an “abusive power grab”
“At Parler, we respect the First Amendment, which means we protect freedom of expression and conscience,” said Amy Peikoff, Parler’s chief policy officer. “We allow a maximum amount of legally protected expression.”
Parler, a social network popular among conservatives and the far-right, went offline in January after being taken down by Apple, Google and Amazon. The tech giants took action to distance themselves from the Parler app as concerns grew that the service could be used to promote more violence.
See also: Parler app returns to Apple's App Store
Last month, Apple said in a letter to Republican lawmakers that it had approved proposed changes from Parler and expected the app to return to its App Store once it was updated with those fixes. In the letter, the iPhone maker said it initially removed the app from its platform because its review team “found a significant number of posts” that violated the company’s rules against “inappropriate content,” including posts that “encouraged violence, denigrated various ethnic groups, races, and religions, glorified Nazism, and promoted violence against specific people.”
The app is available again from Monday in the Apple app store.
