Google Not Killing Translate API After All, Will Develop Paid Version

Following public outcry, Google said on Friday it is revisiting its plan to kill off third-party access to its translation engine. The company will instead develop a plan to offer a paid version for others that wish to incorporate it into their services.

Google said last month it planned to end the Translate API because of abuse, but many of those who had built services using the tool had called on Google to instead just charge for it.

“In the days since we announced the deprecation of the Translate API, we’ve seen the passion and interest expressed by so many of you, through comments here (believe me, we read every one of them) and elsewhere,” Google product manager Adam Feldman said in a blog post. “I’m happy to share that we’re working hard to address your concerns, and will be releasing an updated plan to offer a paid version of the Translate API.”

Google said to stay tuned for more details.

The Translate API was one of several being eliminated as part of some “spring cleaning.”

Google initially stood by the decision, despite complaints.

“Deprecating the Translate API was the hardest choice for us to make — we’re excited about the global web, and about helping developers and webmasters anywhere reach audiences everywhere,” Feldman said last week. “We continue to invest in our Translate offerings, including the Google Translate web element. But the Translate API was subject to extensive abuse — the vast majority of usage was in clear violation of our terms. The painful part of turning off this API is that we recognize it affects some legitimate usage as well, and we’re sorry about that.”