Google+ is Shutting Down, after Massive Data Breach

Matilda Omonaiye/

Google+ is about to be shut down by its parent American multinational technology company after a discovery that a software bug gave third-party developers access to private profile data of its social network users.

Google Technology Company, which specializes in Internet-related services and products, including online advertising technologies, search engine, cloud computing, software, and hardware, is shutting down all consumer functionality of Google+ over the next ten months, although it will maintain the enterprise version used by its G Suite business customers.

NewsmakersNG learnt that Google didn’t disclose the breach when it first discovered it in March to avoid regulatory scrutiny and reputational damage.

Since the social network first launched in 2011, it failed to gain popular appeal and was broken up into separate products in 2015.

Reports say the consumer version currently has low usage and engagement and that 90 per cent of user sessions last less than five seconds.