Google said they advised Truth Social to fix key issues concerning content moderation before launching former President Donald Trump's app on their store.
The announcement contradicted a previous claim by the far-right social media platform it was waiting on Google to make its debut.
Last week in response to a consumer inquiring when Truth Social was going to be made available on Android, Devin Nunes–who is the CEO of Trump Media & Technology Group that created the app–replied:
"That's up to the Google Play store."
Before becoming the CEO of TMTG, Nunes served as the U.S. representative for California's 21st congressional district and then California's 22nd congressional district from 2003 to 2022.
Nunes–who has sued Twitter and parody accounts like "Devin Nunes’ Cow" and "Devin Nunes’ Mom" alleging defamation–said of Google:
"We're waiting on them to approve us. I don't know what's taking so long."
\u201cGoogle pushed back on Truth Social's claims it was waiting on the tech giant for its debut. Google said it's specifically concerned about how Truth Social handles physical threats and incitement of violence. I\u2019m glad they\u2019re acknowledging that! #DemVoice1 https://t.co/Jcv3vS3ET5\u201d— Jaye T. (@Jaye T.) 1661885153
He added Truth Social was available for pre-order but was not live on Google Play yet.
Despite an online rumor Google banned Truth Social, a spokesperson for the major global tech company clarified the debut of Truth Social largely depended on the company making required changes to the app.
\u201cBREAKING: Truth Social rejected by Google Play for failure to moderate violent content.\n\nThis cuts Trump off from Android users \u2014 44% of Americans.\n\nBut it gets worse for Trump:\n\nGoogle\u2019s standards are usually weaker than Apple\u2019s. So they\u2019ll likely get booted from iOS too.\u201d— Tristan Snell (@Tristan Snell) 1661890422
The spokesperson explained:
"On Aug. 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."
\u201cBREAKING: Google has not approved Truth Social for Android app distribution via its Play Store because of insufficient content moderation. It should stay that way.\u201d— CALL TO ACTIVISM (@CALL TO ACTIVISM) 1661875363
\u201c@CalltoActivism I never been so happy to have an Android!\u201d— CALL TO ACTIVISM (@CALL TO ACTIVISM) 1661875363
Truth Social was launched on Apple's app store on February 21, 2022.
Social media users are now starting a campaign encouraging Apple to follow Google's lead by refusing to have Truth Social in their virtual store.
\u201cBREAKING NEWS: Americans all across the country demand that Apple follow Google Play Store\u2019s lead and remove Trump\u2019s TruthSocial app from its App Store for refusing to moderate bigotry, racism, and violent threats. RT TO MAKE SURE THAT APPLE SEES THIS!\u201d— Omar Rivero (@Omar Rivero) 1661895502
\u201c@CalltoActivism If you want the Apple store to BAN Truth Social just like Google did, please sign below to join our movement! \ud83d\udc47\n\nhttps://t.co/4JqtOGK8zi\u201d— Nathan Mackenzie Brown \ud83d\udd2c\ud83c\udf0e (@Nathan Mackenzie Brown \ud83d\udd2c\ud83c\udf0e) 1661885085
\u201cBREAKING: Google has removed \u2018Truth Social\u2019 from the Google Play store due to its lack of content moderation, including threats of violence against current and former government officials. @Apple, you\u2019re up.\u201d— Andrew Wortman \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@Andrew Wortman \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1661880507
\u201c@NathanMackBrown @OGNurseRatchet Come on @Apple seriously, for the sake of the country, you have to take that seditionist platform off of the App Store\u201d— Nathan Mackenzie Brown \ud83d\udd2c\ud83c\udf0e (@Nathan Mackenzie Brown \ud83d\udd2c\ud83c\udf0e) 1661885085
\u201c@NathanMackBrown @joncoopertweets @AppStore what say you? The ppl are asking you to remove Truth Social from App Store!\ud83e\udd37\u200d\u2640\ufe0f @GooglePlay already addressed same issue.\u201d— Nathan Mackenzie Brown \ud83d\udd2c\ud83c\udf0e (@Nathan Mackenzie Brown \ud83d\udd2c\ud83c\udf0e) 1661885085
The creation of the platform was in response to Trump being banned from Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube, for his role in inciting the January 6, 2021 Capitol insurrection.
Trump's Twitter copycat app hasn't exactly caught on with social media users.
Rosie Bradbury of Insider said she spent a week on Truth Social in April and said engaging with the app was akin to exploring "a conservative ghost town that had been overrun by bots."
Bradbury also concluded the signs for the app so far were it was "a flop."
Of those who signed up for a waiting list and got approved, some who mentioned the congressional hearings on the January 6 attack on the Capitol found themselves banned.
Twitter user Travis Allen–who describes himself as an information security analyst–shared a screenshot of his Truth Social page that read “Account suspended.”
Allen wrote:
“My Truth Social account was just permanently suspended for talking about the January 6th Committee hearings.”
According to Yahoo! Finance, Google expressed concern about how "Truth Social handles physical threats and incitement of violence."
\u201c@CalltoActivism It\u2019s another platform for hate. We don\u2019t need anymore of that\u201d— CALL TO ACTIVISM (@CALL TO ACTIVISM) 1661875363
\u201c@CalltoActivism White middle class Republican independent contractors want their constitutional right to use the n-word back as White Jesus gave it to them to use as an expression of their love for the him...\n\n'merica\u201d— CALL TO ACTIVISM (@CALL TO ACTIVISM) 1661875363
Google also said Truth Social acknowledged their guidance last week and claimed to be working to solve the issues.
Insider added:
"However, Google said Nunes' allegations misrepresent the company's ongoing conversation with Truth Social."
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