Apple shows a White House coronavirus PSA to App Store users

Tech giants have been displaying prominent coronavirus alerts in various places, but Apple is stepping things up with its latest addition. Users have noticed that Apple is now displaying a White House public service announcement at the top of the App Store for US customers. Tap it and White House Coronavirus Task Force member Dr. Anthony Fauci offers guidance on the "dos and don'ts" of social distancing

It's an unusual location for a PSA, but makes sense when many users are likely to check for app updates. Apple wants to be sure that a message like this reaches as wide an audience as possible -- and while News has plenty of readers, that might not be enough. This also hints at a new (if hopefully short-lived) normal where COVID-19 pandemic information is relatively ubiquitous in the digital landscape, including from official sources like Fauci.

Wow! This when you open the Apple App Store.

Well done @Apple @tim_cook @TWiT @ant_pruitt @reneritchie pic.twitter.com/8w6OqKW92m

— Demian Dellinger (@DemianCo) March 21, 2020