After months of backlash from LGBTQ activists, Google has finally had a change of heart regarding a controversial app.
The company recently caught up with other app sellers on Thursday when it agreed to pull the contentious “conversion therapy” app, Axios reported.
The app by Living Hope Ministries has sparked controversy among LGBTQ activist groups, who accused the program of promoting conversion therapy. The app provided users with testimonials and articles, offering sections for men, women, children, and parents. According to Axios, the app had received at least 1,000 downloads.
While Apple, Amazon, and Microsoft banned the app months ago, Google had previously refused to follow suit, claiming the app did not clearly violate the Play Store terms of service.
Google announced its decision to pull the app on Thursday, after an online petition calling for the company to act amassed over 140,000 signatures.
“After consulting with outside advocacy groups, reviewing our policies, and making sure we had a thorough understanding of the app and its relation to conversion therapy, we’ve decided to remove it from the Play Store, consistent with other app stores,” a spokesperson for Google said in a statement.
Google announced the change less than a day after Human Rights Campaign suspended the company from this year’s Corporate Equality Index. Following the move to ban the app, Google’s score in the index will be restored.
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