The on-going scuffle between the Indian government and Twitter over the blocking of accounts thanks to the farmer’s protest has resulted in a win-win situation for the Indian app Koo. This app has seen a considerable push from the IT ministers in India. within the last few days, it’s seen a massive surge in the number of users as more than 1 million users have already installed Koo on their phones. The user rating of 4.7 on the Google Play Store has also helped the app to realize huge popularity in the country.
What is Koo?
The Koo may be a micro-blogging platform that was developed by Bombinate Technologies Pvt Ltd in March last year. The app was available on the Google Play store for an extended time but it came into prominence only after the scuffle began between the Indian Government and Twitter. In August last year, the app won the distinguished AatmaNirbhar Bharat App Innovation Challenge which was organized by the Union IT Ministry.
Is the Koo App similar to Twitter?
The Koo app looks very almost like Twitter and it allows the user to express his/her thoughts on the platform. A user also can share videos and audio, just like the posts of other users, and discuss them. almost like the retweet feature, users have the ‘re-Koo’ feature. The app is out there in English and a few other Indian languages such as Hindi, Kannada, Marathi et al. Many famous Indian personalities like Javagal Srinath, Shankar Prasad, and Anil Kumble are already using Koo. While the PM isn’t yet on Koo, he did mention it on his program ‘Man ki Baat’ when addressing the state.
Who are the Investors of Koo?
In February 2021, Koo achieved a serious landmark by raising $4.10 million from a gamut of investors including a corporation that is backed by none other than Mohandas Pai, CEO of Infosys, and Kalaari Capital among others.
How to Download Koo?
The app is often downloaded either from Google Play Store or the iOS app store. The Koo are often accessed from the web app also. The user just needs a legitimate phone number on which the OTP will come from Koo to facilitate registration on the app.
Why is the timing so important?
On 31st January the Centre asked Twitter to dam a massive 257 URLs and one hashtag due to the misinformation that they were spreading about the farmer’s protest. Although Twitter blocked them after each day, it soon unblocked them after some hours much to the dismay of the Indian government. The Centre then issued an order seeking compliance on the matter failing the govt is determined to take penal action.
