Google cancels April Fools Day prank

For the second year in a row, Google has canceled April Fools.

An internal memo sent by Google’s VP of global marketing, Marvin Chow, explains the company will continue its “pause” of April Fools’ Day pranks in 2021 as “much of the world” is still dealing with “serious challenges” during the pandemic.

In a statement, Google said the reason is in honour of all those who have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“In 2020, we made the decision to pause our longstanding Google tradition of celebrating April Fools’ Day, out of respect for all those fighting Covid-19. With much of the world still grappling with serious challenges, we will again pause the jokes for April Fools’ Day in 2021,” reads a statement.

He added that throughout the past year, “I have been so inspired by how helpful our products, programs, and people have been during humanity’s toughest times. We’ve done it with sensitivity and empathy, reflecting the range of challenging experiences so many are experiencing globally.”

“Like we did last year, we should continue to find appropriate ways to bring moments of joy to our users throughout the year (e.g. Doodles, Easter eggs, etc.),” it added.

The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in several lockdowns in various countries.