ICQ, one of the internet’s oldest instant messaging services, is shutting down after 27 years. The service, once popular among early internet users, announced on its website that it would cease operations from June 26, 2024.
ICQ, an acronym for “I Seek You,” was developed by a small Israeli company named Mirabilis and launched in November 1996. It predates other popular instant messaging services like AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) and was a prime mode of online interaction before the advent of social media.
Despite competition from big tech giants like AOL, MSN Messenger, and Yahoo Messenger, ICQ managed to carve out a niche among internet users. In 1998, AOL acquired ICQ for an upfront payment of $287 million, followed by an additional $120 million over three years based on the service’s performance. By 2001, ICQ had grown to over 100 million users.
However, the rise of social media apps like Facebook and WhatsApp on mobile phones greatly impacted the instant messaging market. While MSN Messenger, AIM, and Yahoo Messenger closed in 2014, 2017, and 2018 respectively, ICQ survived, serving a dedicated user base, especially outside of the U.S.
In 2010, AOL sold ICQ to VK, a Russia-based social media platform, for $187.5 million. VK reported roughly 11 million ICQ users in 2022. Despite signs of VK planning to sunset the platform, ICQ’s mobile apps disappeared from Apple’s App Store and the Google Play store around 2022.
The closure of ICQ marks the end of an era in the history of the internet.
Read more: mashable.com