‘Plague Inc.’ Removed From Chinese App Stores Amid Outbreak

Eliza Gkritsi, writing for TechNode:

Popular infection simulation game Plague Inc. has been removed from Chinese app stores, Apple and Xiaomi users noticed today, after enjoying renewed popularity during the Covid-19 outbreak.

Why it matters: The removal shows just how serious the country’s authorities are in managing the public perception of the virus.

The game remains in Apple’s U.S. App Store, and, I presume, everywhere else outside mainland China. It’s even an Editor’s Choice winner.

Real shocker that a country without a free press is having trouble containing the outbreak. Coronavirus is not a PR problem, it’s a medical problem, and accurate up-to-date information reported to the public is essential in containing it. Any country that treats it as a PR problem is in trouble.

★ Friday, 28 February 2020