Apple allows US conspiracy theorist's app on App Store

Apple has announced that the mobile app of US consipiracy theorist Alex Jones', Infowars Official, will continue to be available on its App Store because the application in particular has not violated any of the company's guidelines, the media reported.

Recently, Apple, along with Facebook and Google-owned YouTube took down and banned videos and podcasts by Jones put on pages identified as Alex Jones Channel Page, the Alex Jones Page, the InfoWars Page and the Infowars Nightly News Page, for violating the hate speech, bullying and extremist behaviours rules, making them no longer searchable or available for download or streaming.

The content that got banned on Apple reportedly includes "defamatory, discriminatory or mean-spirited content, including references or commentary about religion, race, sexual orientation, gender, national/ethnic origin, or other targeted groups, particularly if the app is likely to humiliate, intimidate, or place a targeted individual or group in harm's way," BuzzFeedNews reported on Wednesday.

But the company believes that the "Infowars Official" app has yet to violate any of those standards.

"We strongly support all points of view being represented on the App Store, as long as the apps are respectful to users with differing opinions, and follow our clear guidelines, ensuring the App Store is a safe marketplace for all," the report quoted Apple as saying.

An Android version of the app remains in Google's app store as well.

"We carefully review content on our platforms and products for violations of our terms and conditions, or our content policies. If an app or user violates these, we take action," BuzzFeed News quoted a Google spokesperson as saying.

Jones was banned from posting violating content on his Facebook pages for a period of 30 days because his content contained "dehumanising language to describe people who are transgenders, Muslims and immigrants," which violates the social networking giant's hate speech policies, as per previous reports.

--IANS

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