Google social network bug exposed data of thousands

The US internet giant Google has announced it is shutting down the consumer version of its online social network after fixing a bug exposing private data in as many as 500,000 accounts. 

A Google spokesperson in San Francisco cited significant challenges in creating and maintaining a successful



Google that meets consumers' expectations along with very low usage as the reasons for the move. 

The spokesperson said the Google social network for consumers, which failed to gain meaningful traction after being launched in 2011 as a challenge to Facebook.