Google has had to declare emphatically that Gmail is not going anywhere after a fake news story claiming the email service would be shut down went viral on social media.
A post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, which garnered over seven million views, falsely announced Gmail would cease operations in August.
In response, Google used the same social media channel to dismiss the hoax.
Gmail is here to stay.
— Gmail (@gmail) February 22, 2024
“Many people take online content at face value, and there is a scarcity of mechanisms and procedures in place for fact-checking,” commented Richard Bagnall, CEO of CARMA, a communications measurement company.
“As long as social media can irresponsibly disseminate unchecked, unconfirmed information to their users, incidents like the Gmail rumor are likely to reoccur,” he added.
All social media networks face challenges in combating misinformation, but X has faced particular scrutiny for its handling of the issue, with the EU in 2023 stating it performed worse than its counterparts in curbing the spread of false information.
The platform has stated its dedication to “fighting hate speech” while striving to “uphold free speech.”
This original HTML interface, present at Gmail’s inception in 2004, would be unfamiliar to most current users.
The misleading viral message stated, “After years of connecting millions around the globe, facilitating smooth communication, and nurturing innumerable connections, the era of Gmail is concluding.”
Gmail holds the title as the most used email service worldwide, boasting over 1.5 billion active users, as per Statista.
Even as Google firmly refuted the claims made in the hoax, it is noteworthy that the tech giant has indeed discontinued several of its offerings in recent years.
In 2023, Google terminated its Stadia gaming platform, the Snapchat-esque feature YouTube Stories, and began the process of shutting down old and inactive Gmail accounts.
Furthermore, Google has disclosed plans to phase out Google Podcasts, a move somewhat mitigated by the presence of YouTube Music, another service under its umbrella.