COVIDSafe App Caught Up In Misleading TikTok Campaign

COVIDSafe App Caught Up In Misleading TikTok Campaign
B&T Magazine
By B&T Magazine



It’s fair to say the government’s COVIDSafe contact tracing app has been anything but a success.

Since launching in early May, the app is still yet to detect any close contacts of an infected person – even with the recent outbreak in Victoria.

The launch of the app has since been criticised by the marketing and advertising community, with Verizon Media head of data ANZ Dan Richardson questioning the government’s decision to launch the app without a campaign.

“Launching the app before an educational marketing campaign, such as the government has done right now, was the wrong way to go about it,” he said during an online session earlier this year.

“I think we should have had that first and then launched the app, so people felt a little bit more comfortable.”

And now, an social media campaign on TikTok encouraging young Australians to download the app has come under fire.

The #letusplay campaign is not actually a government initiative, rather it has been led by a coalition of sport and business leaders.

The sponsored videos on TikTok – which according to triple j’s Hack are worth around $600 – have been criticised for making false or misleading claims.

In one of the videos an influencer claims: “I’ve figured out how to stop COVID: download the COVIDSafe app”.

In another video posted by influener Rory Eliza, who has over 3.3 million followers on TikTok, it is suggested the app “traces everyone who has tested positive for COVID”.

The TikTok campaign, which launched earlier this month, follows on from an earlier #letusplay campaign featuring prominent Australian sportspeople.

Unlike the latest campaign, these videos do not make exaggerated claims about the ability of the COVIDSafe app.

 




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