Google Bug Disables Gmail Accounts

Much like the Hotmail bug that erased e-mails from thousands of users back in January, approximately 150,000 users also reportedly woke up to empty inboxes this morning.

The Google Apps status dashboard reports a "service disruption" with Google Mail, which began around 1:36am. "Our team is continuing to investigate this issue," according to a note. "Thank you for your patience."

Google said that Google Mail service has already been restored for some users, and the company expects a resolution in the near future, though it provided few other details. Google said the issue "affects less than 0.08 percent of the Google Mail userbase." Mashable reported that that could be about 150,000 accounts.

On the Gmail help forum, one user reported: "I logged in and everything was gone."

"I am using Google Apps Free Edition though. I was on my eMail normal and when I refreshed all my account settings, eMail, labels, contacts etc has just disappeared," reported another.

Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In January, Hotmail users experienced a similar phenomenon, when about to find all their e-mails and folders deleted. Microsoft's Mike Schackwitz there was an error in a script that was supposed to delete dummy accounts that Microsoft uses for testing purposes. Unfortunately, that error also removed real user accounts; they were later restored.

On Monday afternoon, Google spokesman Andrew Kovacs tweeted that the Gmail issue "affected 0.02% of users not 0.08%, restored access for 1/3, remaining 0.013% being restored on ongoing basis,all w/in 12 hrs."

Editor's Note: This story was updated at 11:40am Eastern and again at 4:30pm.