Apple withdraws the Unjected app, the “anti-vaccine Tinder”
Apple has decided to remove Unjected from the App Store. This application, which is nicknamed “the Tinder of anti-vaccines” did not respect certain rules related to Covid-19 by disseminating false information.
A first report from Google
The idea behind Unjected is to have a community “Like-minded people who support medical autonomy and freedom of expression”, according to their creators. The user creates a profile, can match with other like-minded people and then start a discussion. Tinder works the same way.
The app recently added a social feed and a lot of false information has been circulating about it. Google contacted the team behind Unjected to note that moderation was not effective at the Android app level and that changes had to take place or the app would disappear two weeks later. Google spotted posts that claimed vaccines were “Genetic modifiers with experimental messenger RNAs”, from “Biological weapons” and “Nanotechnology microchips” used to connect people to the 5G network.
Shelby Thomson, the app’s co-founder, told Bloomberg that his team removed the social feed to stay on the Play Store on the Android side. But she already announces her desire to put it back and hopes that Google will not see it.
Unjected disappears from the App Store
For its part, Apple removed Unjected from the App Store after being contacted by Bloomberg. The group believes that the application “Inappropriately refers to the Covid-19 pandemic in its concept or theme”. Apple only allows applications related to Covid-19 when they disseminate credible health and safety information, and come from recognized entities, including government organizations, health-focused nonprofits and medical or educational establishments.
Apple initially rejected Unjected, but finally accepted it when the team made changes. But other changes have emerged with updates and the application does not respect the rules to date, hence the withdrawal. “This is a violation of our rules, which are clear: if you try to cheat the system, your applications will be removed from the store”, says Apple.
According to Apptopia, Unjected has accounting for a total of 18,000 downloads. It’s not much, but the community on it is a problem for Apple and Google. In any case, this is not the first time that the two groups have applications in the viewfinder for the lack of moderation. In January, Apple and Google retired the Talk app. But she finally returned in April.
