Several days ago, US President Donald Trump seemingly misspoke when he said that Google was developing a website that would provide information about the coronavirus, such as by listing information on how to get screened/tested, and so on. However, Verily (a subsidiary of Google’s parent company Alphabet) clarified that it is them who will be developing such a website.Now it looks like there might have been some truth to Trump’s claims as Google has since come forward and confirmed that they too, will be developing such a website. According to Google, “We’re partnering with the U.S. government in developing a website dedicated to COVID-19 education, prevention, and local resources nationwide. This includes best practices on prevention, links to authoritative information from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and helpful tips and tools from Google for individuals, teachers and businesses.”
Google also notes that they will be putting this information into its other services such as Google Search, Google Maps, and YouTube. “On YouTube, we’re using the homepage to direct users to videos from the CDC or other locally relevant public health agencies. We’re highlighting content from authoritative sources when people search for COVID-19, and inserting information panels to provide additional context from high-quality sources.”
The company also claims that this is done in an effort to help curb misinformation, especially given how many people rely on Google to search for news and information in general.
Filed in . Read more about Coronavirus, Covid-19, Google and Health. Source: blog.google