Koo, the Indian alternative to Twitter, has become a hot topic as it promotes Aatmanirbhar Bharat by providing a Twitter-like experience (but in Indian languages). It’s available as an app on iOS and Android, and there’s also a web page. Koo is the winner of the Government’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat App Challenge 2020. Although the app has since largely disappeared from the spotlight, it has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity after Twitter refused to remove some content that the government ordered it to remove. This clampdown is an ongoing affair, but in the meantime, government agencies like MeitY and senior politicians like Union Minister Piyush Goyal have been tweeting about Koo and his account on the platform.
What is Gu?
Koo is a microblogging service similar to Twitter where users can express their opinions. It was developed by co-founder and CEO Aprameya Radhakrishna. Koo was launched in March last year and won the Digital India AatmaNirbhar Bharat Innovation Challenge, which seeks to find the best Indian apps with the potential to become world-class apps. According to the “About” section on Koo’s website, the idea behind the app is to allow Indian users to share their opinions in their local language.
“Only 10% of Indians speak English. Nearly 1 billion people in India do not understand English. Instead, they speak one of the more than 100 languages in India. They now have access to smartphones and prefer to surf the Internet in their own language.” The article goes on to point out, “Koo seeks to make these Indian voices heard. They can now participate on the Internet in their native language, listen to the opinions of some of the most astute Indians, and also express their thoughts by sharing their thoughts.”
The Koo app is free on Android and iOS, and there’s also a website where you can check out what’s going on.
Why is Guo in the news?
Koo returned to the spotlight after Union Minister Piyush Goyal tweeted about joining the indigenous microblogging platform. This comes amid ongoing differences between the Indian government and Twitter. The government reportedly asked Twitter to remove more than 1,000 accounts it said were spreading misinformation and provocative content about the protests. Twitter disagrees and says it will not take any action against accounts associated with media entities, journalists, activists and politicians.
Not just Goyal, other senior politicians are also using Koo, including Electronics and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa. Government ministries and departments such as Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Central Board of Indirect Taxes (CBIC), National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT), India Post, MyGovIndia, Digital India and National Informatics Center (NIC) are also on the platform.
How to download Koo?
Koo is a free app available on Android and iOS. Alternatively, users can go to Google Play and search for “Koo.” The app is available on Google Play as “Koo: Connect with Indians in Indian Languages”. It is available on the App Store as “Koo” and the provider is Bombinate Technologies Private Limited.
You can visit the website and click on the Google Play or App Store download option to be redirected to the download link.
What are the characteristics of Ke?
Koo’s functionality is very similar to Twitter. It allows users to follow individuals and browse feeds. Users can write messages in text form or share messages in audio or video format. It is available in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Tamil and English options, with other language options coming soon. It also allows people to express themselves in their local language.
Messages can be written up to 400 characters long and are called “Koo”. Some language communities essentially display everything in a specific language.
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