Google shuts down Cameos because people care more about personalized opinions in search
Although not widely discoverable, you could previously Google your favorite celebrities and be informed about a few topics by them through something called Cameos. Google’s ill-fated app allowed anyone with enough star power to record themselves answering mundane questions so you could get your healthy dose of popularity appeal.
Apparently that approach wasn’t appealing enough, as the service is now shutting down four years after its launch. According to a new email sent by the company to anyone participating, February 17, 2022 will be the last date anyone can save videos via Cameos to Google, as well as the last date they can be published on Google. Search and Discover.
As of February 18, 2022, you will no longer see them in either location when searching, and anyone registered as a content creator can use Google Takeout to get a copy of their cameos for… self-admiration, I guess.
Aside from their lack of views, as Google doesn’t seem to have pushed them hard enough in the public eye (I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Cameo), I’d bet Cameos is shutting down because most of the users care about the personal opinions of their friends, family and colleagues, as well as their favorite influencers on Youtube and social media, more than anything Kim Kardashian has to say. I mean, if you care what she has to say, I guess that’s a valid use of the service, but you care about yourself.
Celebrities like The Rock, on the other hand, have amassed such a social presence and cultivated their public image so well that anyone you ask on the street is likely following Dwayne’s page and checking back occasionally. I think there’s a very clear difference between influencer and celebrity in 2022, and while some celebrities like The Rock are becoming popular online influencers, that’s not really the case for all celebrities.
I’m still trying to figure out the connection between why I should care what a famous person thinks of my choice of morning cereal – you know, unless he’s a cereal enthusiast who’s built his platform. form on taste tests or something like that. To be fair, I guess the answers to the questions in video format had something to do with the celebrity who recorded them, so here goes.
If you’re a celebrity who uses Cameos, or if you’re someone who enjoyed content that might be found due to its existence, let us know in the comments. Despite how I joke about the idea, I still think it was interesting and creative, even if it turned out to be less useful than pretty much everything else.