On Friday, February 23, tech giant, Google, refuted reports claiming that it will end Gmail services by August this year.
A fake viral email that trended for a better part of Thursday and Friday sparked outrage across the internet after claiming that billions of Google users will lose their accounts.
While responding to the concerns raised by internet users, Google shared a cryptic post on X saying, “Gmail is here to stay.”
The misleading screenshot suggested that from August, Gmail would no longer support sending, receiving, or storing emails.
"Gmail! Is this true? What will happen to hundreds of millions of people who use your services? Are you telling us to go back to Yahoo? What will happen to so much of our data for years and years?" questioned an internet user.
"I've been a customer for 14 years and now this?" noted another social media user.
While stating the reason for ending the crucial service, the post claimed the decision was aimed at developing new technologies and platforms to revolutionise the way we communicate and interact online.
"After years of connecting millions worldwide, enabling seamless communication, and fostering countless connections, the journey of Gmail is coming to a close," read the deceptive screenshot in part.
"The decision to sunset Gmail has been made with careful consideration of the evolving digital landscape and our commitment to providing high-quality, innovative solutions that meet the needs of our users," it further alleged.
In an insight into the matter, it was noted that Google would only get rid of Gmail's basic Hyper-Text Markup Language (HTML) view which allowed to look at Google's messaging service shallowly.
"Starting February 2024, this version of Gmail (Basic HTML Gmail) will no longer be supported, and you'll automatically start using Standard Gmail. Switch to the latest Gmail version now," Google wrote back in December last year.
Google's HTML version lacks a lot of features such as chat, spell checker, search filters, keyboard shortcuts, and rich formatting.
The California-based company has in recent weeks been at the centre of controversy after it released an AI-powered copilot, Gemini.
This innovative tool promises to supercharge users' creativity and productivity. However, the launch was met with mixed reactions after it failed to impress customers. This came after their competitor, Microsoft, unveiled an updated version of the AI model.
