Fool’s Day has been postponed to 2021, and then to 2022, with Google making the decision out of respect for communities affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Company officials believe that even now is not the time for jokes that could be offensive to some people, the events that occupy the front page of major publications are still far from the festive atmosphere of “fool’s day”. In addition, the dissemination of false information packaged as pranks on April 1 is rather dangerous, as the day can be easily diverted for misinformation campaigns.
Thus, 2021 is the third year after 2004 when Google refrains from the tricks of April 1.
According to an official statement, Google has decided not to participate in the Day of Fools out of respect for the efforts made in the fight against COVID-19, a difficult challenge that much of the world still faces.
For now, Google’s goal remains to help people and solve more pressing problems. The company says it has halted centralized efforts for the April Fools Day campaign, instructing employees to focus on solving more pressing issues.
It is expected that other companies will announce similar decisions on giving up the April 1 tricks, so as not to contribute to the state of panic and confusion already felt in some communities due to the spread of Fake News.
