According to openrss.org, Google has systematically undermined RSS feed adoption through a pattern of integrating RSS support into popular products, then removing it once users became dependent on the service.
The company removed an RSS button from early versions of the Chromium browser without explanation. In 2007, Google acquired FeedBurner, an RSS monetization service, then shut down its APIs in October 2012 and drastically reduced services in July 2022, leaving users with broken feed URLs.
Google’s most significant action came in 2013 when it shut down Google Reader, a web-based RSS reader application that had accumulated a loyal user base since 2005. The company claimed usage had declined, but a former Google engineer stated that “various people were trying to kill it” throughout the project’s existence. The source notes that Google provided no guidance to users on how to continue using RSS feeds without Google Reader, leading many to abandon RSS entirely.
In October 2008, Google added RSS support to Google Alerts, allowing users to receive notifications via feeds. However, in July 2013, the company removed this feature, making email the only option. After user backlash, Google reinstated RSS for Alerts, but by then many had already stopped using RSS feeds due to Google Reader’s shutdown.
Google also removed an RSS browser extension from Chrome, later claiming the removal was a mistake. The company reinstated it within a week, but the incident highlighted how low RSS had become as a priority.
In 2002, Google News launched with RSS feed integration, but Google deprecated and then entirely shut down RSS support in December 2017 without explanation. Users had to find alternative RSS links while proprietary Google News links continued working.
Most recently, in May 2021, Google announced plans to restore RSS support to Chrome, but no official launch has materialized years later. The source expresses concern that Google’s history suggests even if RSS features launch, they may not remain stable or prioritized over time.
Key facts
- Google removed the RSS button from Chromium browser without explanation
- Google acquired FeedBurner in 2007 and shut down its APIs in October 2012
- Google shut down Google Reader in 2013 after years of users relying on it
- Google removed RSS support from Google Alerts in July 2013, then reinstated it after backlash
- Google deprecated and shut down RSS support in Google News in December 2017
- Google announced Chrome RSS support in May 2021 but has not officially launched it