Update: More than six months after the launch, Google has approved Donald Trump's Truth Social platform for its Play Store. The move will make it much easier for Android users, who make up almost half of US smartphone users, to download the app. Google says apps in the Play Store have to meet conditions "including the requirement to effectively moderate user-generated content and remove objectionable posts such as those that incite violence," Axios reports. Trump Media & Technology Group is expected to make the app available in the Play Store in the near future, reports Reuters. Our story from Aug. 30 follows:
Donald Trump's Truth Social platform launched on Apple's App Store more than six months ago, but it still isn't in Google's Play Store and approval could be a long time coming. A Google spokesperson told Axios Tuesday that the problem is content moderation. "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," Google said in a statement. Without Play Store approval, Android users, an estimated 44% of US smartphone users, can't download the app.
Google said its concerns include violations of Play Store policies banning threats and incitement to violence, reports Reuters. Trump Media & Technology Group, Truth Social's parent company, said in a press release that it had "worked in good faith" to ensure the app complies with Google’s policies "without compromising our promise to be a haven for free speech." The company complained that competing apps are allowed in the Play Store "despite rampantly violating Google’s prohibition on sexual content and other policies, whereas Truth Social has zero tolerance for sexually explicit content."
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Devin Nunes, the CEO of TMTG, said last week that he didn't know why approval was taking so long and "it sure would be nice if they would approve us," CNBC reports. Truth Social is also dealing with issues including unpaid bills and falling traffic. The former president, however, remains an enthusiastic user. Rolling Stone reports that Trump posted or re-posted content at least 60 times Tuesday, including content from QAnon accounts. On Monday, he used the platform to demand that he be reinstated as president if a new election isn't held immediately. (More Truth Social stories.)
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