Google Sets April 2 Shutdown Date for Consumer Google+ Accounts
Google announces it will completely shut down the consumer version of Google+ and begin deleting all user content on April 2. Enterprise users will retain access to the platform, while the associated APIs go offline on March 7.
Google officially sets April 2 as the final day for its consumer Google+ social network, marking the end of an era for the failed platform. On this date, the company begins permanently deleting all consumer content, including pages, photos, and videos. Remaining users who want to save their data must download their information before the deletion process starts.
The shutdown only affects the consumer version of the service, leaving the enterprise edition fully operational for businesses that still rely on it. However, Google takes a stricter approach with the platform's APIs, which become major security liabilities for the company. These APIs shut down earlier on March 7, cutting off third-party access well before the main site goes dark.
This closure serves as the final chapter for a social network born from Google's desperate attempt to compete with Facebook and Twitter. The company heavily pushed Google+ by integrating it into countless products and even altering search results based on social signals. Ultimately, these aggressive tactics fail, turning the project into a well-documented disaster that takes Google years to overcome.