LBRY Alleges Apple Forced It To Filter Certain Terms During COVID-19

LBRY, a blockchain file-sharing and payment network claims that during the COVID-19 crisis, Apple forced it to filter out certain search terms in an apparent rejection of free speech.

iexclusivenews reports that in a Nov. 28 tweet, LBRY claims it was told to censor anything related to COVID-19, particularly vaccines and the virus’s human origins, or risk having its apps removed from the Apple App Store.

“We had to build a list of over 20 terms to not show results for, only on Apple devices. If we did not filter the terms, our apps would not be allowed in the store,” the crypto company alleged.

What You Should Know 

LBRY is a decentralized content-sharing platform that gives artists, filmmakers, writers, and other content creators complete artistic and monetary control over their work.

One of its most well-known apps is the Odysee video-sharing website, but it’s unclear whether this app was involved in the alleged censorship.

The blockchain company made the announcement in response to Elon Musk’s post. In which he stated that Apple has “mostly stopped” advertising on Twitter due to concerns about the social media platforms’ content. Prompting LBRY to share its experience with Apple during the COVID-19 pandemic.

LBRY also alleges when some of its users included images of “Pepe the Frog” in videos, Apple “Rejected” them.

Pepe the Frog is a 2005 Internet meme depicting a green anthropomorphic frog that has since been adopted by Hong Kong protest groups and used in political-based ideology.

According to the cryptocurrency company, “Apple may make good products, but they have long been opposed to free speech.”

iexclusivenews understands that Cointelegraph contacted Apple for comment but had not received a response as of the time of publication.

Meanwhile, discussions about censorship on Twitter have raged on.

Musk took over Twitter on October 28 and has been teasing the release of the “Twitter Files,” alleged proof of the previous Twitter administration’s concerted effort to stifle free speech on the platform.

The Twitter Files on free speech suppression soon to be published on Twitter itself. The public deserves to know what really happened …

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 28, 2022

Following Musk’s acquisition of Twitter and subsequent plans for the platform, some users have sought out decentralized social networks as an alternative.

As part of a decentralized response to Twitter, Twitter co-founder and former CEO Jack Dorsey recently unveiled a new Bitcoin-powered Bluesky Social app.

However, iexclusivenews Nigeria reports that the announcement on Oct. 18 came roughly three years after Dorsey announced the initiative.

With the goal of allowing users to have control over their data and move it from platform to platform without permission.