August 30 (Reuters) – Former US President Donald Trump’s social media platform Truth Social has yet to be approved for distribution on Alphabet Inc’s Google Play Store (GOOGL.O) due to insufficient content moderation. content, according to a Google spokesperson on Tuesday.
The delay marks a setback for the app, which launched in the Apple App Store on February 21. Android phones account for about 40% of the US smartphone market. Without the Google and Apple stores, there’s no easy way for most smartphone users to download Truth Social.
“On August 19, we notified Truth Social of a number of standard policy violations in their current application submission and reiterated that having effective systems in place for content moderation User-generated content is a condition of our terms of service for all apps to appear online on Google Play,” Google said in a statement.
Google said it has expressed concern to Truth Social about violations of its Play Store policies for banning content such as physical threats and incitement to violence.
Truth Social’s parent company Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG) did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment, but in a press release said it had “continuously worked in good faith with Google to ensure that the App The Android Truth Social app complies with Google’s policies without compromising our promise to be a haven for free speech. “
It added: “Furthermore, some of our competitors’ apps are allowed to appear in the Google Play Store despite being in serious violation of Google’s ban on pornography and its policies. while Truth Social has zero tolerance for pornography.”
News of the Android delay was first reported by Axios.
Truth Social has restored Trump’s presence on social media more than a year after he was banned from Twitter Inc (TWTR.N), Facebook (META.O) and YouTube by Alphabet Inc following the riots. in the United States Congress on January 6, 2021, after he was accused of posting messages inciting violence.
TMTG has pledged to provide a “compelling and uncensored experience” on Truth Social, garnering a base that feels its stand around hot topics like the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. has been removed from mainstream technology platforms.
Reporting by Helen Coster in New York and Chavi Mehta in Bengaluru; Edited by Krishna Chandra Eluri and Nick Zieminski
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