ICQ, a pioneering Instant Messaging app, first launched in 1996, announced its permanent closure on June 26, 2024, after nearly 28 years of operation.
Created by the Israeli company Mirabilis, ICQ was sold to AOL in 1998, which later passed it on to DST, a Russian company that is the parent company of Mail.ru and VK Group (formerly known as VK).
Users of the original ICQ were directed to switch to the VK Messenger chat system without any explanation for the shutdown. Recently, the mobile version of the ICQ app quietly disappeared from stores, leading to the eventual shutdown of servers.
VK reported a significant decrease in ICQ users, dropping from 11 million monthly users in 2022 to a mere fraction of its peak of 100 million accounts in 2001.
Source: PC Mag
TLDR: ICQ, an early Instant Messaging app, will be permanently shutting down in 2024 after a nearly 28-year run. Ownership changes and declining user numbers ultimately led to its demise.
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