Google has canceled its I/O developer conference, set to take place from May 12 to 14.
The company said the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak was the reason for the cancelation, sending out emails to attendees to confirm that the physical event would not take place.
Refunds would be offered by March 13, and the organization will look for “other ways to connect with the developer community” in the weeks ahead, perhaps in a live stream.
“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 Amphitheatre,” Google said in a statement.
“All guests who have purchased tickets to I/O 2020 will receive a full refund by March 13, 2020. If you don’t see the credit on your statement by then, please reach out to [email protected]. Guests who have registered for I/O 2020 will not need to enter next year’s drawing and will be automatically granted the option of purchasing an I/O 2021 ticket.”
“Over the coming weeks, we will explore other ways to evolve Google I/O to best connect with our developer community. We will keep the Google I/O website updated with additional information.”
Google follows Facebook, who decided to cancel its F8 event last week.
Both are similar to Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, casting doubt on the upcoming conference.
Apple was expected to host WWDC 2020 between June 8 and June 12, and though the company has yet to make a decision, Facebook and Google’s cancelations should give you an indication of how higher-ups are treating the threat of the virus, and it could lead to WWDC being canceled for the first year, or perhaps moved to a digital-only unveiling.
Around the world, close to 100,000 people have been infected with the coronavirus, and more than 3,000 people have died. The virus is spreading rapidly to other parts of the world, including Europe and the United States, and as a result, large events are being canceled for public safety.
Would you be sad to see WWDC canceled for 2020? Let us know your thoughts on social media and check back soon for more news and rumors as soon as we get it, direct from Apple.
