(CP) – Google has suspended a mobile app launched by an evangelical church in Idaho, claiming that the app violates the tech giant’s “sensitive events” policy related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Last Friday, Christ Church of Moscow, Idaho, alerted its followers that Google Play had suspended its “ChristKirk” app from the Play Store.
“Google Play suspended our ChristKirk app today,” a Facebook post reads. The post includes a screenshot of the notification Google sent to administrators of the app stating that Google Play prohibits apps that “lack reasonable sensitivity towards” or try to “capitalize on a natural disaster, atrocity, conflict, death, or another tragic event.”
“We presume they’re talking about Pastor Douglas Wilson‘s short lessons on responding faithfully to the COVID-19 crisis,” the church added in its post. “Or maybe Pastor Toby J. Sumpter‘s sermon calling God’s people to humble repentance. Regardless — What gives, Google?”
According to Google Play’s “sensitive events” policy, examples of violations include apps that are “appearing to profit from a tragic event with no discernible benefit to the victims,” apps that “deny a major tragic event” or apps that lack sensitivity to deaths of people or groups.
On Tuesday, the church provided an update on Facebook explaining that it had appealed the suspension. “We do not believe we were in violation of their rules,” the update reads. “Google Play suspended essentially *all* apps that referred to COVID-19.” FULL REPORT
