A hoax news release falsely claiming that Google was shutting down its popular Gmail service sent the internet into a frenzy. The fake statement, sent out hours after Google announced it was pausing the release of its text-to-image AI tool Gemini, included a message claiming that Gmail would be inaccessible after August 1, 2024, despite its prior user base of 1.8 billion people. The hoax quickly went viral before users called out the fact that it was indeed fake. The statement was later attributed to Chris Bakke, who has a history of creating hoax content to satirize other news articles.
Despite the hoax, Gmail continues to be the most popular email platform in the world, with a user base of 1.8 billion people. While the company has faced criticism regarding privacy issues, including scanning user messages for advertising purposes, Google has made changes to its policies to reassure users. In fact, the company has ceased scanning emails for ad targeting since 2017, and it stopped displaying shopping ads on Gmail in 2020. Google itself has stated that “Gmail is here to stay,” confirming that the service will persist despite the false claims.
This latest hoax serves as a reminder of the prevalence of misinformation on the internet and the importance of verifying sources and information before believing and sharing news. Despite this instance, Gmail remains a staple in the lives of 1.8 billion users and is a cornerstone of Google’s suite of communication and productivity tools.
