Google Expedites Closing Google+

A new security bug was discovered with the Google+ API. 52.5 million users in connection with a Google+ API potentially had their name, email address, occupation, age and other information stolen.

Google is moving up the closure of the consumer Google+ from August 2019 to April 2019 and closing down all the Google+ APIs in the next 90 days.

Google reports:

We will sunset all Google+ APIs in the next 90 days. Developers can expect to hear more from us on this topic in the coming days, and can stay informed by continuing to check the Google+ developer page.We have also decided to accelerate sun setting consumer Google+, bringing it forward from August 2019 to April 2019. We want to give users ample opportunity to transition off of consumer Google+, and over the coming months, we will continue to provide users with additional information, including ways they can safely and securely download and migrate their data.

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.

This expedited shutdown will undoubtedly upset some of Google+'s most loyal users (and the platform's third-party developers), but it sounds like it's for the best. Google seems to be unable or unwilling to give the platform the resources it would need for long-term security given its dwindling user numbers and impending shutdown.

More recently, however, Google has been looking to add 'social-like' features into its existing tools - they've added the ability to 'follow' businesses from within Google Maps, for example, new messaging options for brands, and Google posts for businesses. 

Rather than going after social apps directly, Google's taking inspiration from social tools and adding those features into its existing, highly used tools - which is less social in nature, but may be of more benefit to Google in the long run.