Coronavirus: Apple And Google Reject COVID-19 Apps

“A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.”

Mark Twain

With that said, Google and Apple the two tech giants are trying to fight with misinformation spread about the Coronavirus.

Keen to provide the right information and fight mistruths, Google and Apple are taking actions. Where Google has stopped showing results about coronavirus on its Play Store, Apple is removing all coronavirus or COVID-19 related apps that are not from recognized institutes. CNBC reports this week.

Why such an action?

It’s common for people to believe what they read especially on social media and known platforms. Understanding these facts companies like Google, Apple, Facebook, Twitter, and others are trying to minimize the spread of false news.

With claims related to cure, preventions, a number of COVID-19 cases or deaths people are coming up with apps, tweets, posts on different platforms. All this can create panic and people might believe these fake cures or news, to stop all these companies have come together and are taking this action.

What app developers have to say?

Developers claim that the data they are providing is country-specific and obtained from official sources like the World Health Organization. Yet Apple and Google are rejecting their apps as they are not the official source.

How will the companies know which app to keep?

All apps related to coronavirus COVID-19 will only be accepted if it comes from recognized sources.  If an un-verified app related to coronavirus is submitted, it will not be accepted. This means only if the app is given by the hospitals, government, or recognized health institutions it will be approved.

Cupertino giant is evaluating all the apps related to coronavirus. It is looking at aspects like the source of information. This means they check if the app developer represents a trusted organization or not. Most of which should be a health organization or government.

Is this the right thing or companies are doing it to procure their image?

We all make mistakes. Mistakes can turn you into something better than you were before.

It seems these tech giants after so many failures, up and downs have understood this and are learning from their mistakes.

Undoubtedly, there have been cases where due to misinformation havoc is created and none of the companies were able to act in advance. But this time the coronavirus outbreak has changed things. Companies are doing a great job.

If you do a search in Play Store or App Store for COVID -19 or coronavirus apps, you will see relatively fewer results or no results. This shows tech giants have adopted strict policies and restriction is working. Now people will get true information. Moreover, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has also announced that search results for coronavirus will open a pop up that will be redirected to health authorities or the World Health Organization site. In addition to this Twitter has paused auto-suggest results that might redirect individuals to unreliable sources.

If you want to get any information about COVID-19 to make a search for the World Health Organization, you will get genuine and trusted apps.

Both Apple and Google are not only trying to keep their platform clean from fake COVID-19 coronavirus news, but they are also limiting bad guys from exploiting people for financial gains.

What do you think?

Do you think whatever these companies are doing to limit the spread of false information is right? Should this be done for other things too? What is your take on all this?

Do you believe what you read, or do you go to trusted sources?

Leave us a comment to share your thoughts and let us know what you think about the outbreak. Also, if you get a chance to control the spread of misinformation about coronavirus COVID-19 what will you do?