What kinds of promises does it take for Truth Social, a platform renowned for spreading misinformation and falsehoods by its most prolific and influential users, for getting approved on Google Play Store? Apparently, all it takes is a vague promise to actually adhere to its existing terms of service.
Late on Wednesday Trump Media & Technology Group, the holding company behind the Truth Social app, announced their app was now available for download on Google Play Store. Check your phone and… yep, there it is, the big blue “T” staring back at you like the Eye of Sauron.
The thing is, up until now Google has been restricting the app from being distributed on its main app store because, at least back in August, Truth did not have “effective systems for moderating user-generated content” as part of the company’s terms of service for apps. At the time, TMTG said they were working with Google to comply with its policies “without compromising our promise to be a haven for free speech.” The company further complained that other apps like Twitter were allowed on Play Store, showing a tweet of California Rep. Eric Swalwell, a Democrat, and mischaracterizing it as “a tweet threatening nuclear war.”
In an email statement, a Google spokesperson wow: “Apps may be distributed on Google Play provided they comply with our developer guidelines, including the requirement to effectively moderate user-generated content and remove objectionable posts such as those that incite violence.”
The company has also said Truth has agreed to enforce its policies against users posting violative content considered an incitement to violence.
We also reached out to TMTG for comment but we have not heard back. In their Wednesday press release, the company’s CEO, ex-congressman Devin Nunes, said, “It’s been a pleasure to work with Google, and we’re glad they helped us to finally bring Truth Social to all Americans, regardless of what device they use.”
Google Gives OK for Truth Social on Play Storeg
The thing is, Truth Social has been awash in misinformation, anti-vax conspiracies, and QAnon content almost from day one. A recent report from a media watchdog group labeled numerous times former President Donald Trump, one of the app’s most subscribed-to accounts and Truth Social’s poster child, was actively platforming QAnon content. A reminder, QAnon is the deranged conspiracy that all Democrats are part of a satan-worshiping cult of child sex abusers, and that Trump and his cronies will one day excise all the globalists from their seats of power in a mass arrest called “the storm.”
Google Play requires apps that feature user content to have content moderation policies that prevent illegal content and any user post that could be considered to incite violence or promote hate speech. Axios noted that Truth Social was still available on Android devices by being downloadable from its website and on Samsung Galaxy Store. Apple has also allowed Truth Social to be up for download for months on its App Store.
