Apple discards unrecognized Coronavirus Apps.
Apple is rejecting all corona-virus-related mobile apps that are not recognized by the Government or official health organizations.
This comes after the various misleading information of the popular Corona-virus.
The said measure taken by Apple is to prevent the spread of misinformation on corona-virus.
Apple is manually assessing apps, looking out for who the developers are and where they get their data from.
However, individual developers that use the World Health Organization (WHO) data are also being rejected because they are not recognized health institutions.
That said, individual developers are not so happy with the rejection.
One app developer Zachary Shakked, wrote on twitter saying “ Spent all day yesterday building a corona-virus app just to get this rejection”.
Meanwhile, Google Play is blocking all searches for corona-virus, though it’s not clear if it’s completely blocking app approvals, as well.
Technology companies have been fairly proactive about fighting corona-virus misinformation.
Facebook and Google are removing false corona-virus content (including bogus cures), and Facebook is running free WHO ads to counter inaccuracies.
Twitter has also banned corona-virus misinformation and Pinterest created a custom search experience to ensure users get reliable information.
However, scams, cures, and gouging still abound. Amazon, in particular, is trying to stay on top of product listings that claim to provide corona-virus cures or are massively overcharging for hand-sanitizer, face masks, and other health-related items.
Corona-virus (COVID-19) is a respiratory illness caused by a new virus. Symptoms range from a mild cough to pneumonia. Some people recover easily, others may get very sick very quickly. There is evidence that it spreads from person to person. Good hygiene can prevent infection.
COVID-19 was first reported in December 2019 in Wuhan City in China. Other corona-viruses include Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe