Coronavirus Concern: Google Cancels Annual I/O Developer Conference

Google is canceling its most significant event of the year, the I/O developer conference, due to coronavirus fears.

There’s no doubt that COVID-19 raises a severe health concern.

Currently, coronavirus has killed over 3,100 people across the world, including nine in the United States. As a result, tech companies have been canceling their major annual events.

In recent weeks, Facebook has canceled two conferences, including its big annual event, F8. In addition, organizers of the yearly smartphone trade show, the Mobile World Congress, called off the event after companies and exhibitors pulled out.

Now, Google has announced that its 2020 edition of Google I/O developer conference will no longer take place.

In a statement an email to would-be attendees, the tech giant wrote:

“Due to concerns around the coronavirus (COVID-19), and in accordance with health guidance from the CDC, WHO, and other health authorities, we have decided to cancel the physical Google I/O event at Shoreline Amphitheater.”

Google I/O canceled due to #Corvid19 , conference will be remote instead @AndroidPolice @arstechnica @Google @googledevs #GoogleIO pic.twitter.com/YyQ2c8mTIP

— Nate Harris (@nwithan8) March 3, 2020

The event was initially scheduled to last for two days, from May 12-14 at Google’s Mountainview headquarters.

Live Streamed Version of the I/O Developer Conference?

However, while the developer conference is no longer taking place, the email suggests that there may be a live-streamed version.

“Over the coming weeks, we will explore other ways to evolve Google I/O to best connect with our developer community,” the email reads.

It goes in line with Google’s intention to make some of the Hangouts‘ paid-tier features more widely available.

“We want to help businesses and schools impacted by COVID-19 stay connected”, says Google’s CEO, Sundar Pichai. “Starting this week, we’ll roll out free access to our advanced Hangouts Meet video-conferencing capabilities through July 1, 2020, to all G Suite customers globally.”

According to the conference website, people who already purchased tickets for the developer conference will receive a full refund. Also, they won’t have to re-register to buy tickets for next year’s I/O event.