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Google+ continues to sink with a second massive data breach. Abandon ship now

Google website
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Google had planned to close the Google+ social network in August 2019, but the date can’t come quickly enough: A second massive data breach was just revealed, only a few months after the previous. In a blog post by the Mountain View, California-based company, Google notes that the most recent breach has affected over 52.5 million users worldwide — that’s a significant chunk of individuals whose information now might be floating around on the web.

Google’s latest data breach has subjected over 100 times more users to an information leak when compared to its last data leak, which affected around 500,000 people. The data involved in the breach includes personal profile information and did not involve financial data or passwords. While a profile breach might be seen as less catastrophic of a system breach, the incident places serious concern around Google’s current security practices for the dying social network.

As a result of the breach, Google announced that it will shutter Google+ earlier than originally planned with a new final date of April 2019, four months ahead of its announced schedule. But why take the time and wait to have your data removed from Google’s servers? When a company loses your information twice in only a few months and subjects over 52.5 million folks to the incidents, it might be wise to abandon that ship — before you go down with it.

Delete Your Google+ Account

If you’re looking to delete your Google+ profile, follow these easy steps to get it done in minutes.

  1. Log in to your Google+ account via www.plus.google.com.
  2. Click the hamburger menu (those three horizontal lines) in the upper left corner of the screen.
  3. Select the Settings option.
  4. Scroll down to the Account section and select Delete Your Google+ Profile.
  5. Verify your password, check the box that acknowledges you wish to delete your account, and then click the Delete button.

That’s it, your Google+ account and surrounding personal information are now deleted, and now only you can leak your own data to the web — not Google. Stay protected from these latest string of data breaches by staying one step ahead.

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Michael Archambault
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Michael Archambault is a technology writer and digital marketer located in Long Island, New York. For the past decade…
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