After an eight-month ban, Google has now allowed Truth Social on the Play Store.
After months of delay, Donald Trump’s Truth Social is now available for Android on the Play Store.
The Twitter-like app has been on Apple’s App Store since February, but Google had blocked it from the Play Store citing insufficient content moderation policies. These issues now seem to have been fixed as the app is available to download from the store for the first time.
Truth Social: now on Android
Donald Trump launched Truth Social as a self-styled free speech network after the once-prolific tweeter was banned from Twitter in January 2021. The app was quickly approved for the App Store in February 2022, but the lack moderation of content caused Google to ban from the Play Store.
Google’s rules require strict moderation policies to be in place for all apps that host user-generated content, with a particular focus on things like sexual content, violence and hate speech.
The Parler app, a similar right-wing social network previously championed by the ex-president, broke the rules and was banned in January 2021, before finally being allowed in September 2022.
As reported by AxiosTruth Social is committed to enforcing its existing content policies which, among other things, prohibit posts that are “false, inaccurate, or misleading” and “depict violence, threats of violence, or criminal activity.”
In a statement to Axios, a Google spokesperson said:
“Apps may be distributed on Google Play provided they meet our Developer Guidelines, including requirements to effectively moderate user-generated content and remove objectionable posts such as those that incite violence. “
As a result, Truth Social is available to download from the Play Store, a week after it was added to Samsung’s Galaxy Store.
Could Trump return to Twitter?
Of course, Truth Social’s wider availability may soon become a moot point. Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter is apparently back – for now – and he’s already suggested he’ll reverse Trump’s ban on the platform. If that happens, and given the opportunity to speak to a much larger audience, Truth Social may not be around for long anyway.
