Google has said it will not allow Truth Social, the app launched by former US president Donald Trump as a retaliation to his account being permanently banned by Twitter, until it ensures content moderation, including violent threats.
Truth Social launched in the Apple App store on 21 February, but its absence on Google Play Store means it is losing out on approximately 40 percent of the US smartphone market that uses android.
In a statement, Google said: “On August 19, we notified Truth Social of several violations of standard policies in their current app submission and reiterated that having effective systems for moderating user-generated content is a condition of our terms of service for any app to go live on Google Play.”
The app breaks rules barring content that incites physical threats and violence.
“Last week Truth Social wrote back acknowledging our feedback and saying that they are working on addressing these issues,” the Google spokesperson said.
Truth Social’s parent company, Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), said in a press release: “TMTG has continuously worked in good faith with Google to ensure that the Truth Social Android App complies with Google’s policies without compromising our promise to be a haven for free speech.
“As our users know, Truth Social is building a vibrant, family-friendly environment that works expeditiously to remove content that violates its Terms of Service – which independent observers have noted are among the most robust in the industry.
“Moreover, some of our competitors’ apps are allowed in the Google Play Store despite rampantly violating Google’s prohibition on sexual content and other policies, whereas Truth Social has zero tolerance for sexually explicit content.
“TMTG has no desire to litigate its business matters in the public sphere, but for the record, has promptly responded to all inquiries from Google. It is our belief that all Americans should have access to Truth Social no matter what devices they use. We look forward to Google approving Truth Social at their earliest convenience.”
Meanwhile, there are also reports that Truth Social is in financial trouble. The platform owes nearly $1.6 million and had halted payments to RightForge, its host company.
Truth Social is Trump’s attempt to restore his presence on social media after he was banned from Twitter and Facebook following the January 6 riots at the Capitol, after he was accused of inciting violence with his posts.
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