Russian company VK, which has managed the service since 2010, published a message on its website stating, “ICQ will stop working from June 26,” and urged users to switch to VK Messenger and VK Workspace.
Israeli company Mirabilis started ICQ in 1996, and AOL acquired it in 1998. AOL then sold the service to Digital Sky Technologies, the parent company of VK, then known as Mail.ru, in 2010.
ICQ (I Seek You) was one of the early instant messenger platforms, alongside AOL Instant Messenger and MSN Messenger, that enabled real-time chats.
It distinguished itself by assigning users a unique number to connect with each other, instead of using aliases or email addresses.
ICQ also offered uncommon features like SMS messaging and the ability to message offline users.
The modern version of ICQ functioned similarly to other messenger apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, or Messenger.
