ICQ, one of the first popular instant messaging applications, is shutting down June 26 after 27 years on the market.

ICQ was first launched in 1996 by Israeli company Mirabilis. It was eventually sold to AOL before making its way to Russian company VK. ICQ was unique at the time, because it did not require users to sign up with a unique user name. Instead, each user was given a unique numerical account number, giving them the freedom to choose whatever user name they wanted.

Despite topping out at more than 100 million accounts in 2001, the platform was eventually surpassed by other options, such as Google Talk, Apple iMessage, as well as secure encrypted options like Signal and WhatsApp.

The company behind ICQ has announced the service will shut down next month. VK encourages users to use VK Messenger and VK Workspace instead.

Of course, most users are advised not to use VK products. The company’s controlling interest is owned by a state-owned bank, and the company has a long history of cooperating with Russian authorities, leading to major questions about the privacy and security of VK users.

Users looking for an option to replace ICQ would do better to choose Signal or WhatsApp.