Opinion: Sorry, Gmail, I’m leaving you

Ezra Klein euthanized his Gmail account. Here’s why. [View in browser](~/AAAAAQA~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)|[nytimes.com](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRoF5FPP0S0aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTE5MCZlbWM9ZWRpdF91Zm5fMjAyNDA1MDMmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9MTIyMjk2Jm5sPWZyb20tdGhlLXRpbWVzJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD0xNjU1NzAmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmYzTww1Zsmae6dSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAw~~) [Ad](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRoF5FPP0ScaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9ODU5ODcwJmxpPVVGTiZtPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3JnA9VUZOXzIwMjQwNTAzJnRlPTEmbmw9ZnJvbS10aGUtdGltZXMmZW1jPWVkaXRfdWZuXzIwMjQwNTAzVwNueXRCCmYzTww1Zsmae6dSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAw~~) From The Times May 3, 2024 When Google unveiled Gmail 20 years ago, everyone wanted in — but you needed an invite, our Opinion columnist Ezra Klein writes. He remembers the thrill of finding one: “I felt lucky. I felt chosen.” [[Against a backdrop of clouds in the sky, a hand extends from above toward a another hand holding an iPhone, which is in turn being held back by still another hand.] Photo Illustration by David Avazzadeh/Connected Archives](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRoF5FPP0TlaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyNC8wNC8wNy9vcGluaW9uL2dtYWlsLWVtYWlsLWRpZ2l0YWwtc2hhbWUuaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD0xOTAmZW1jPWVkaXRfdWZuXzIwMjQwNTAzJmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTEyMjI5NiZubD1mcm9tLXRoZS10aW1lcyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MTY1NTcwJnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgpmM08MNWbJmnunUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAM~) [A few months ago, he euthanized his Gmail account. Here’s why. →](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRoF5FPP0TlaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyNC8wNC8wNy9vcGluaW9uL2dtYWlsLWVtYWlsLWRpZ2l0YWwtc2hhbWUuaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD0xOTAmZW1jPWVkaXRfdWZuXzIwMjQwNTAzJmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTEyMjI5NiZubD1mcm9tLXRoZS10aW1lcyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MTY1NTcwJnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgpmM08MNWbJmnunUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAM~) [Get expert analysis of the news and a guide to the big ideas shaping the world. ] Sign up for the Opinion Today newsletter Get expert analysis of the news and a guide to the big ideas shaping the world every weekday morning. 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