Google’s Keen Platform Bids Farewell
Alphabet Inc. GOOG GOOGL Google has made the decision to discontinue its experimental social media endeavor, Keen.
Google’s Social Media Experiment: Launched in 2020 under the Area 120 initiative, Keen, which was accessible via Staykeen.com, harnessed machine learning to provide users with recommendations concerning “Keens” – virtual idea boards.
The unique feature of creating themed boards for sharing content like links, images, videos, and notes failed to revolutionize the social media space, leading to its untimely demise.
Despite promising beginnings, Keen stagnated after December 2021, prompting the decision to include it in the roster of scrapped projects within Area 120 during 2023.
To Keen’s dwindling user base, Google has given a deadline of March 24 to download all data. Beyond this point, posts, likes, comments, and memories will all disappear into digital oblivion.
Google’s assertion about the value derived from Keen for enhancing content recommendation algorithms remains, yet its future plans with Area 120 projects are shrouded in mystery, hinting at a potential looming shutdown wave in 2024.
The Bigger Picture: Google’s history of project closures extends further with the recent termination of Google Play Movies & TV and the redirection of users to alternative entertainment platforms in December.
Earlier last year, the demise of Google Podcasts and the subsequent push towards using YouTube Music illustrated Google’s shifting priorities in the digital domain.
The magnitude of Google’s January layoffs, affecting over 1,000 employees, highlights the changing landscape within the tech giant, with significant repercussions across various teams and departments.
Stock Update: Google’s stock concluded Thursday at $143.77, experiencing a modest decline of 0.39%, as reported by Benzinga Pro.