2018 Google data breach

A photograph of Vic Gundotra.
Vic Gundotra, Google+ lead at the time of the leaks.

The 2018 Google data breach was a major data privacy scandal in which the Google+ API exposed the private data of over five hundred thousand users.[1]

Google+ managers first noticed harvesting of personal data in March 2018,[2] during a review following the Facebook–Cambridge Analytica data scandal. The bug, despite having been fixed immediately, exposed the private data of approximately 500,000 Google+ users to the public.[3] Google did not reveal the leak to the network's users.[4] In November 2018, another data breach occurred following an update to the Google+ API. Although Google found no evidence of failure, approximately 52.5 million personal profiles were potentially exposed.[5] In August 2019, Google declared a shutdown of Google+ due to low use and technological challenges.[6][7][8]

  1. ^ Snider, Mike (1 February 2019). "Google sets April 2 closing date for Google+, download your photos and content before then". USA TODAY. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  2. ^ Newman, Lily Hay (12 October 2018). "A New Google+ Blunder Exposed Data From 52.5 Million Users". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  3. ^ "Flaw leads to Google+ shutting down". Network Security. 2018 (10): 3. 2018. doi:10.1016/S1353-4858(18)30095-3. S2CID 240102979.
  4. ^ MacMillan, Douglas; McMillan, Robert (8 October 2018). "Google Exposed User Data, Feared Repercussions of Disclosing to Public". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  5. ^ Romm, Tony; Timberg, Craig (10 December 2018). "New Google+ security bug could affect more than 52 million users". The Washington Post.
  6. ^ Thacker, David (10 December 2018). "Expediting changes to Google+". Google. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  7. ^ "Google+ API Shutdown | Google+ Platform". Google Developers. Retrieved 14 May 2019.
  8. ^ "Google's social network is closing". New Scientist. 240 (3199): 4. 2018. doi:10.1016/S0262-4079(18)31819-0. S2CID 240126196.