Update: Apple finally restored The Glenn Beck Program after claiming it was restored but continuing to block access to the account. "After over 5 hours of my entire catalogue of podcasts episodes (over 3,000) being removed from Apple, and despite receiving a confirmation email congratulating me that my podcast is 'Now Available,' The Glenn Beck Program is STILL not available on Apple Podcast. Still no explanation for why it was removed," Beck Posted on X (formerly Twitter) last night. Within the hour he gave an update noting that Apple had restored the podcast but that he never received "clear answers as to why this happened."
Blaze Media founder and popular radio host Glenn Beck said that Apple Podcasts removed his show because of “issues,” whatever that means.
Beck posted a video on X (formerly Twitter) on August 16 saying that Apple Podcasts had removed his show The Glenn Beck Program from its platform meaning that all past episodes of the show can no longer be found on the platform, and for the time being, no future episodes can be uploaded. “I cannot imagine what they are basing this one on,” he said, later adding that “there is nothing we have said that would warrant any removal.” The extremely vague notice Beck received simply noted that Apple "found an issue with your show The Glenn Beck Program, which must be resolved before it's available on Apple Podcasts,” according to a screenshot Beck posted.
He further emphasized that he was given no reason and no way of obtaining an explanation from Apple Podcasts. “They sent us a link and said for more details go to the link and the link only says you have been removed from Apple podcasts. Well, we got that one dummy," he said.
The podcast host predicted that Apple will eventually identify the “issue” as a supposed “glitch.” “It's probably just a 'glitch' but it's amazing how we have to have a whole bunch of people point out the 'glitch' before the 'glitch' is found and it's put back,” he said. Beck later added, “I think the closer and closer we get to this election, the more and more 'glitches' are going to happen.”
Beck said that situations like these highlight the need for a parallel economy of free speech platforms and media like The Blaze. “This is why it is so important to get Blaze TV. Because we're not playing this game. We don't censor anybody,” Beck added.
I have a feeling these “issues” with @Apple and others will keep happening the more we’re over the target. pic.twitter.com/RvATfZdUzJ
— Glenn Beck (@glennbeck) August 16, 2023
Beck later tweeted, “I have a feeling these ‘issues’ with @Apple and others will keep happening the more we’re over the target.” Although Apple’s censorship of prominent public figures appears scant, the app is far from unbiased.
The most egregious censorship and bias the company has shown over the last few years was when it, along with Google and Amazon, shut down the Parler app. Apple gave Parler 24 hours to remove what it considered objectionable content "used to plan, coordinate, and facilitate the illegal activities in Washington D.C. on January 6, 2021 that led (among other things) to loss of life, numerous injuries, and the destruction of property," Buzzfeed News reported. It also demanded that Parler provide a plan on how it would improve its content moderation practices moving forward or risk being removed from the App Store.
Apple also de-listed Ryan T. Anderson’s book When Harry Became Sally from its iBooks app and reportedly pressured Shopify to stop accepting payments for purchases of products from Fenix Ammunition, an online ammunition manufacturer and seller.
Apple did not respond to MRC Free Speech America’s request for comment by the time of publication.
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