And the laws changed. Hopefully we'll see that. We can't expect companies to be our moral compass.

Is Google refusing to distribute Parler different from the NYT refusing to publish an article I send them?

Yes. NYT is making an editorial decision. Google publishing an app is much more akin to you making a phone call - they are the carrier, nothing else, because they control the end of line.

Phone companies also have terms of service. Here’s AT&T’s:

> AT&T may immediately terminate all or a portion of your Service or reduce or suspend Service, without notice, for conduct that AT&T believes (a) is illegal, fraudulent, harassing, abusive, or intended to intimidate or threaten; (b) constitutes a violation of any law, regulation, or tariff (including, without applicable policies or guidelines (including the Acceptable Use Policy), and AT&T may refer such use to law enforcement authorities without notice to you.

And yet somehow have never resorted to saying who can and cannot use their service based on their political beliefs.

Keep trying.

Parler wasn’t pulled from Google’s app store for discussion of Conservative policy. It was pull for hate speech, incitement, and for the illegal conspiracies being plotted. Plus Parler isn’t enforcing their own terms of service.

If it was just politics then Google would also pull New Republic magazine.

Apple has said that they need to step up their moderation game and they can get back into the App Store. I’m guessing that would be good enough for Google as well.