Google Discontinues URL Shortener, Breaking Millions of Links

Google Phases Out goo.gl URL Shortening Service

Google will deactivate millions of shortened URLs created through its goo.gl service after August 2025. The company cites cost-saving reasons for discontinuing the 15-year-old service, though experts estimate the savings will be minimal compared to Google's revenue.

Impact on Digital Information Access

Link shortening services like goo.gl, TinyURL and Bitly gained popularity in the 2000s by converting long web addresses into shareable links. These were particularly valuable on character-limited platforms like Twitter. Google launched its own service in 2009 but stopped creating new goo.gl links in 2018 while promising existing links would remain active.

Revised Deactivation Plan

Following criticism, Google modified its original plan to deactivate all links. Now only inactive goo.gl links (those unused since late 2024) will display warnings before deactivation. Active links will continue functioning. This revision affects approximately 10 million URLs.

Historical Preservation Concerns

Digital archivists warn this move will damage web integrity. Harvard Law Review found 50% of links in US Supreme Court decisions since 1996 were already broken. Jack Cushman of Harvard Law School calls links "the connective tissue of the internet," while Professor Michael Nelson notes the difficulty in predicting what valuable information will be lost.

Critics highlight the irony as Google earns approximately $245,000 per minute. Nelson quipped the company might save just "a few tens of dollars" through this decision.