Another one of the big five tech companies has turned on Alex Jones.
Just over a week after Facebook suspended Jones from their platforms and YouTube and Spotify removed a number of his InfoWars videos and podcasts that violated their policies against hate speech, Apple has followed suit.
Apple has gone further than the others, removing the entire library of five out of InfoWars’ six podcasts from both iTunes and the Podcast app, according to Buzzfeed. While Apple only provided a indexing platform for the podcasts and did not host the shows itself, such a move will severely limit the reach of the InfoWars programs.
In a statement to Buzzfeed, an Apple spokesperson explained that the company “does not tolerate hate speech” and maintains a set of guidelines that “creators and developers must follow to ensure we provide a safe environment for all of our users.” Content that violates the guidelines are removed, at which time they are “no longer searchable or available for download or streaming.”
“We believe in representing a wide range of views, so long as people are respectful to those with differing opinions,” the statement continued.
While Apple’s response to Jones has been the farthest-reaching thus far, the company had been criticized in the lead-up to its decision for failing to respond more quickly. Only one InfoWars podcast, a news recap called “Real News with David Knight,” remains available via the Apple podcast app.
