Apple And Google Rejecting COVID-19 Apps That Are Not From Health Organizations

Apple has begun cracking down on apps related to the coronavirus, according to a new report. App developers who spoke with the media representatives say Apple is rejecting any coronavirus-related mobile software, not from recognized health organizations or the government.

As per the other report, Google is not returning any results for coronavirus-related searches on the Play Store, although it’s not at this time if Google is restricting the approval of new applications, too.

Some well-meaning mobile apps from independent developers that rely on WHO data and information form recognized health institutions are getting caught up in the ban, as per the report from a trusted source.

That’s because Apple is evaluating whether apps that provide information related to the coronavirus can be trusted sources of information for the public.

Right now, few iOS apps related to the virus are appearing in search results or top app rankings, although there are existing and mostly benign options available.

Those include a “virus tracker” app from a company called Healthlynked, a COVID-19 (the illness caused by the novel coronavirus) app from medical resource company Unbound, and a Portuguese-language app published by the Brazilian government with information about the virus.

As for Android, Google appears to be deliberately blocking search results for the virus and COVID-19, yet we don’t know if the company has an outright ban on new apps related to the virus.

Google declined to comment for this story, but the company did point to a series of approved apps providing coronavirus information, including ones from the American Red Cross, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Doctor On Demand, as well as news apps like the official Twitter Android app and News 360. Apps that are found to violate its “sensitive events” policy, outlined above, can be removed as well, so it doesn’t just apply to yet-to-be-published apps still in review.

Apple and Google are far from the only companies taking measures to cut down on content that either peddles misinformation or seeks to take exploit the ongoing outbreak for financial gain.