O Google had to publicly declare that Gmail was here to stay, after a hoax claiming it was closing spread on social media. A post on Xformerly Twitter, which was viewed more than seven million times, stated it would close in August.
Google used the same platform to deny the information. A communications expert told the BBC that this is a classic example of the dangers of misinformation.
Most people believe what they see online and there is a lack of tools and processes to verify the facts. While social media may act without responsibility and provide unfiltered and unverified information to their audiences, this Gmail incident will not be the last case we see , said Richard Bagnall, head of communications assessment firm Carma.
All social media platforms fight to stop misinformation, but X has come under specific criticism on the issue. The company has already said that it is committed to combating hateful speech, but it also wants to protect freedom of expression.
The BBC spoke to The original HTML view was used when Gmail launched in 2004 and would be unrecognizable to most people using the service today.
Gmail is the most popular email service in the world, with more than 1.5 billion active users worldwide, according to Statista. Despite rejecting the false claims, it is true that Google has closed some services in recent years.
In 2023 alone, Google shut down its Stadia gaming service, its Snapchat-like YouTube Stories feature, and began closing old, inactive Gmail accounts. Additionally, it announced plans to close Google Podcasts, although that functionality has been effectively supplanted by YouTube Music, which it owns.
* With information from the BBC/ Cover photo: TechCrunch
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