The conservative nonprofit PragerU had its app temporarily removed from the Google Play Store on Friday, following the release of their documentary, “Dear Infidels: A Warning to America.”
Google initially cited a violation of the company’s “free speech policy” as the reason for the removal. A screenshot shared by PragerU showed Google’s explanation that the app contained “content or speech asserting that a protected group is inhuman, inferior, or worthy of being hated.”
However, Google later reversed its decision, attributing the removal to a mistake. “After further re-review,” Google reinstated the app, according to an email sent to PragerU.
PragerU acknowledged the reversal on X, expressing gratitude to supporters who helped publicize the issue and prompt the tech giant’s reconsideration.
“In an email from Google, they said our recently removed app is now available ‘after further re-review,’” PragerU wrote on X. “Thank you to all of our amazing supporters who helped publicize this issue to force Google to reverse their earlier decision to remove our app from the store entirely.”
The controversial documentary, which is believed to have triggered the app’s removal, presents first-hand accounts from individuals who escaped Islamic rule and aims to warn America about the perceived threats of radical Islam. The documentary’s description states, “Radical Islam poses a significant threat to our freedom. The rise of anti-American rhetoric and violence in cities and universities is a direct result of the indoctrination led by those perpetrating a religious war against the West.”
This incident is not the first time PragerU has clashed with Google. In 2017, the organization lost a First Amendment lawsuit against YouTube, arguing that the platform favored left-wing channels over its own content.
