Google Deletes Adamu Garba’s Controversial App ‘Crowwe’ From PlayStore

Google has taken down former presidential aspirant, Adamu Garba’s application, Crowwe, from its PlayStore.

Currently, the app is no longer available to download on the platform.

Advertisement

Crowwe was described as an instant messaging and financial transaction app, that comes with a digital wallet which helps users transfer and receive money while chatting.

Recall that following the announcement of the Twitter ban by the Federal Government, Garba had touted Crowwe as a suitable alternative for Nigerians.

“Join Crowwe now! Build your country, build your people and build your brand. Join Crowwe now…. This is the best opportunity to grow Nigeria to Build Nigeria, Crowwe to the World,” he tweeted.

He made these tweets despite the dismally poor reviews and ratings the app continued to receive from users while it was on the Google PlaySore.

Advertisement

Mr Garba was fully supported the decision to ban Twitter when it was first announced. He had earlier expressed his displeasure with the owners of the app when they removed President Muhammadu Buhari’s controversial tweet from the platform.

“Twitter has no right to infuse into our local political affairs. It’s a company not a government. By removing our democratically elected President’s speech to the people of Nigeria, Twitter need to shut down from Nigerian internet space. Twitter need to get out of Nigeria,” he tweeted.

However, his tweets directing people to use his app as an alternative to Twitter was met with negative reactions.

This led to some Twitter users pointing out that Crowwe’s terms and sonditions were copied verbatim from that of an extremely popular app, Spotify.

@rubylaren tweeted, “Check the Crowwe app’s terms and conditions. It’s the SAME thing as Spotify. They didn’t even bother editing. Like if you click on the hyperlink it redirects you to Spotify theft. What sort of pangolo app is that?”

Advertisement

Another Twitter user, @tayo_dips tweeted, “Hi @Spotify I’d like to report an intellectual property theft. The app @CrowweApp (Gloome Business Connections Ltd) made an authorised copy of your terms & conditions, WORD for WORD, uploading it on App Stores. I think you should file a lawsuit for infringing copyright.”

The allegations were verified by fact-checking platform, Dubawa.

According to the People’s Gazette, when Mr Garba was reached for comment, he said that the company was working on updating the application and that was why the app was deleted from Play store.

However, checks on the Google Play help console indicate that an app does not need to be removed from Playstore before it can be updated.

“Once your update is available, users can download the update on your app’s store listing page or from their My apps page on the Play Store app. If a user has turned on automatic updates for your app, the update will be downloaded and installed automatically,” it explained.

Playstore explained that once an app is removed, the published version of that app won’t be available on Google Play until a compliant update is submitted.

Advertisement

“Until a policy violation has been fixed, don’t republish a removed app,” it added.

Leave a comment

Advertisement