Millions of social media users in India are affected as Koo, a local microblogging platform, announced it is shutting down. Koo, which started in 2020, had marketed itself as an alternative to X (formerly known as Twitter). The founders of Koo said they had to close the platform because they ran out of money and the technology costs were too high. Reports Technology News
Koo became popular in 2021 when several Indian ministers supported it during a disagreement between the Indian government and X. The government had asked X to block certain accounts that it claimed were spreading fake news. These accounts included those of journalists, news organizations, and opposition politicians.
The shutdown of Koo is a big setback for users who preferred communicating in their local languages. Koo offered messaging in more than 10 Indian languages, which made it a favorite for many people in India. Now, with Koo shutting down, millions of users are left without their preferred social media platform.
