Google+ Was Closed Due to a Serious Security Bug That Leaked Data of More Than 500,000 Accounts

This article examines Google+ Was Closed Due to a Serious Security Bug That Leaked Data of More Than 500,000. It presents the main facts, practical implications, and key points in a clearer, easier-to-follow format.

Understanding Google+ Was Closed Due to a Serious Security Bug That Leaked Data of

Yesterday, October 9, 2018, Google posted information about more than 500,000 accounts of Google+ users. Accordingly, private and unpublished data such as name, email address, occupation, gender and age were revealed.

The security flaw that exposed this user information appears in Google+ since 2015 and has been hidden by Google so far. Google said it has investigated and found no evidence that third-party developers know about the bug or misuse it.

However, this error is affecting an API that is accessed by hundreds of developers and Google closed it in March 2018. According to the WSJ, Google has not reported this error because of fear of getting into a privacy-related scandal like Facebook in the past.

Google+ is a social network launched in 2011 but does not receive the attention of users. The consequences of this data leak made Google decide to close the Google+ service, which is scheduled to take place in the next 10 months, ending in August 2019. At the same time, the company discloses its plan. developing Google+ into a product for businesses.