Free stuff from Big Tech

In the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, huge efforts have been made by big tech companies to combat the spread of misinformation, mobilize communities and speed up research.

Yesterday, Facebook announced an initiative where the company is giving government and UN health organizations free services to help them use Messenger to scale their response to COVID-19. Several days ago, Google launched a COVID-19 information portal that highlights safety and prevention tips, as well as official stats and insights (it’s only in the U.S. for now). Twitter is also prioritizing authoritative information by verifying experts (with a blue check mark) to provide credible updates around coronavirus. 🙌

For those stuck at home due to quarantine, closures and lockdowns, big tech also has solutions. Apple Music released an AI-generated upbeat playlist (it’s called the Get Up! Mix) that will be updated every week. It’s sort of like Spotify’s Discovery Weekly, but happier. Apple is also giving away free e-books and audiobooks (to people in the U.S.) when you launch Apple Books.

Meanwhile, Amazon wants to help parents out. The company is offering free access to over 40 titles of kid-friendly Prime Video content to anyone with a standard Amazon account, and the initiative is in effect worldwide.

Have you seen more smart initiatives like these from other tech companies? Tell us about them. 👈

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