News highlights:
- Google finally bans Infowars app from its Play Store
- Infowars had published misleading information regarding the Coronavirus pandemic
- Owner, Alex Jones also received a cease and desist order to stop selling products that claim to stop CoV
- Apple, Facebook, Youtube, Twitter have already banned Infowars in the past regarding similar reasons
- People are advised to use their own discretion while reading any information online
It is highly important in the current scenario that rumors, like germs, are contained and not allowed to spread. Any sort of misinformation right now has no place in the world and should be taken legal action against.
Falling suit, Google has finally banned the Infowars app from its Play Store.
After many other major platforms like Apple and Youtube had shown Infowars the exit doors in the last few years, this year it was the internet giant who gave the Alex Jonesق€™ business another fatal blow.
But the business owner, Jones has always had different feelings for such actions.
According to Infowars, any ban or restriction placed on them has a positive effect on its publicity. They had said that it only increases its reach and popularity. Well, we can say thatق€™s a win-win.
letق€™s find out what did the app do to deserve it.
What is Infowars?
Alex Jones is a far right conspiracy theorist and owns the fake news website, Infowars.
Apart from hosting the Alex Jones Show, the website is also known for publishing false and misleading content related to 9/11 attacks, Sandy Hook shootings, and just about everything else.
All major platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, iTunes and Roku have already banned Infowars permanently in the past.
In 2018, the podcast hosted by Alex Jones was sent home by all major companies including Spotify over allegations of it being hate speech.
It is often said that Infowars is Jonesق€™ medium for making money by publishing bait content and promoting brands through it.
Numbers suggest that around 10 million people visit the highly controversial website every month. Now, that says something about the reach and impact that fake news has.
Why Google banned infowars?
We think it was long overdue, since so many of major digital platforms have already done what Google has done now.
Even though the Infowars network operates under Free Speech Systems LLC, this time it crossed the line by spreading fake information about the COVID-19 pandemic that the world is facing.
According to sources, ق€˜Infowars had published a video disputing the need for social distancing, shelter in place, and quarantine efforts meant to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.ق€™
While the governments, the doctors and the essential workers are risking their lives saving the world from the pandemic, sources like Infowars that are spreading rumors and cashing in on peopleق€™s anxiety by making false claims like ق€œtheir DNA Force Plus supplements, Superblue toothpaste, and SilverSol gargle could protect against or treat the novel Coronavirusق€ , need to be strictly cracked down upon without delay.
Not just that, Alex Jones has also received an order from the New York Attorney General Letitia James to stop promoting and selling products on his store that claim to protect people from the novel coronavirus.
What did the New York Attorney General say?
ق€œMr. Jonesق€™ public platform has not only given him a microphone to shout inflammatory rhetoric, but his latest mistruths are incredibly dangerous and pose a serious threat to the public health of New Yorkers and individuals across the nation.
If these unlawful violations do not cease immediately, my office will not hesitate to take legal action and hold Mr. Jones accountable for the harm heق€™s caused.ق€
What did Google say?
A Google spokesperson said that it is a top priority for their team to combat misinformation, now more than ever.
Any app that violates the Google Play policy by distributing misleading or harmful information is removed from their store.
What did Apple say?
Apple had permanently banned the Infowars app from its App Store 2 years back in September saying that their guidelines forbid any content that is offensive, insensitive, upsetting, intended to disgust or in exceptionally poor taste.
What can you do to protect yourself from misinformation?
Being safe from misleading information online is also an integral part of being cybersecure.
To make sure that you are never pulled in by bogus claims and fraud marketing schemes, you can follow a few safety measures whenever you browse online.
- Always choose a trusted information source. Donق€™t fall for popularity. Choose authenticity and accuracy of content.
- Do a quick Google search about whatever app or website you are going to rely on for something. If there is something suspicious about it, you will find it mentioned on plenty of online forums and in news articles.
- Always read reviews and comments and most importantly, do proper research before you purchase anything online, no matter how grand the claims are.
- If you do come across any misleading information source, make sure you donق€™t share it with people but instead urge everyone to report it to the platform on which it is published.
What do you think about this action of Google? Is it late? Is it bang on time? Or is it unjustified?
Let us know whatever your thoughts are, in the comments section below.
If you have come across any fake news website or app, you can share the URL with us in the comments below and we will report it.
Stay tuned, stay safe.
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