Google are shutting down Google+ for consumers due to thousands of accounts having their data exposed to third parties.
News has come out of Google that they will be closing down the consumer side of Google+ over the next 10 months. The closure is coming about due to around 500,000 users having their data exposed to third parties without being made aware.
According to sources from the Wall Street Journal the company have know about the issue since March but decided not to disclose this information till now:
“They opted not to disclose the issue this past spring, in part because of fears that doing so would draw regulatory scrutiny and cause reputational damage”.
Google have since defended the decision not to disclose the leak till now, writing in their blog: “Whenever user data may have been affected, we go beyond our legal requirements and apply several criteria focused on our users in determining whether to provide notice.”
They eventually decided to disclose the information on the back of a review from their Privacy & Data Protection Office. The review found that they couldn’t accurately identify those users affected, establish if there was any evidence of misuse or if there was any actions a developer/user could take in response to their data being leaked.
In light of these issues concerning their ability to maintain the security levels of data on the platform coupled with ‘very low’ usage, the consumers version of Google+ will be no more come August 2019.
Google+ The Not So Social Network
Google+ launched in 2011 was set up to rival Facebook and Twitter it promised to offer a different experience letting you connect and build relationships with like-minded users who have the same passion as you. Although a nice idea at the start the consumer usage of the platform has continued to fall with figures coming out of Monday’s report that “The consumer version of Google+ currently has low usage and engagement: 90% of Google+ user sessions are less than five seconds.”
What does this mean for Google+ for businesses?
Google has said that it will continue to offer Google+ powered networks for businesses currently using the platform. It could be good news for enterprises who currently use the platform as google announced a change in focus and direction of the platform “We’ve decided to focus on our enterprise efforts and will be launching new features purpose-built for businesses.” with more information due soon.
Google+ maybe one social network you no longer have to consider in your marketing plan but the power of social media and implementing the correct social strategy should not be overlooked. If you want to find out how social media could help promote growth within your business contact one of the digital marketing experts today at AsOne. Contact Us.
