Google Plus Shut Down: Should We Feel Affected or Indifferent?

It was in June 2011 when Google introduced their very own official social networking platform, Google Plus. Like most social media platforms, its main page shows you content from your contacts. Google Plus users could then connect to contacts, very much like your “friends” and “followers”. It also has a  feature called “Google Plus Circles” which allowed users to group their connections. It didn’t really become as big of a hit as its competitors such as Facebook or Twitter. With Google Plus, companies could advertise more, connect with customers, and get business reviews. All these information will then reflect on search engine results, thereby increasing traffic. Unfortunately, news has spread of the Google Plus shut down that may possibly affect businesses.

Goodbye Google Plus

It is unfortunate that Google Plus is saying goodbye forever. Google themselves announced this sad news last October 8, 2018. However, they are reassuring users that it isn’t effective immediately and will exit the online world ten months after.

Falling Engagement

It is undeniable that engagement and usage for a platform can determine its effectivity. In a blog post by Ben Smith, the engineering vice president of Google, he revealed that sessions were for less than five seconds in 90 percent of the users. This indeed proves that it wasn’t able to catch up with its competitors.

Privacy Issues

Privacy is absolutely a big concern in the online world. After all, users share their data under the social media platform’s assurance of protected and sealed user data. This reason is why it was such a big issue when Facebook logged out all accounts recently last September after it breached 50 million users’ personal information.

In Google Plus’ case, the same blog which announced the Google Plus shut down, Smith, confessed to a data leak last March 2018. In this data breach, more than 400 third-party applications potentially had access to supposedly private information. This information includes usernames, email ads, age, gender, and even the occupation. Smith, however, assured that no messages and phone numbers were accessed nor leaked. More importantly, Smith confirmed that there was no evidence that developers knew about the bug. They also confirm what really matters to users: that there was no misuse of profile data. Nevertheless, users remain skeptical and concerned about their data.

What also adds impact on the situation is that Google did not release a statement informing users when this security breach happened. Smith, however, explained that the data breach did not necessarily apply to the criteria that determine when users should receive a notice.

Making the Most

The Google Plus shut down isn’t happening until August next year. Hence, Google is making sure that they are reforming their privacy policies. They will also be giving Google Plus users solutions so that they can save their data and migrate it to other social media platforms. Businesses can also continue making the most of the remaining time Google Plus has to gain more traffic for their business. Will its shut down negatively affect the online marketing agencies and other business industries or will it pave ways for better and more effective solutions for sales and conversions?

About Axel May Rivera

Axel is an avid fan of many dramas and songs. She is always eager to explore and discover more when it comes to movies and entertainment, especially in Korean and Filipino culture. In her free time, she enjoys reading books and playing badminton.