Google has heavily impacted RSS adoption by removing support in key products despite using the protocol to grow its influence. Early versions of Chromium had a built‑in RSS button that disappeared without notice, leaving users without a simple way to subscribe. In 2007, Google acquired Feed Burner, turning feeds into private, monetized streams and later shutting its API in 2012. A 2022 overhaul left many URLs broken, forcing subscribers to abandon their feeds.

Google Reader, launched in 2005, was killed in 2013 under the pretext of declining usage. The loss of a reliable reader eroded confidence in RSS, and the subsequent removal of RSS from Google Alerts in the same year added to the confusion, even though the feature was briefly restored. Google’s Chrome extension, which highlighted available feeds, was removed and then reinstated as a mistake, signaling low priority for the feature.

Google News discontinued RSS support in 2017 with no explanation, and a 2021 announcement of a Chrome update promised RSS but has yet to launch. These repeated patterns of adopting and then withdrawing RSS support illustrate a strategy that undermines user trust.

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