New Bug Prompts Earlier End to Google+ Social Network

Google said Monday it will close the consumer version of its online social network sooner than originally planned due to the discovery of a new software bug. The Google+ social network will close in April -- four months earlier than planned -- and the internet giant will focus on operating a version tailored for businesses, according to G Suite product management vice president David Thacker. Application programming interface programs (APIs) used by developers to access Google+ data will be shut down within 90 days, according to Thacker. "With the discovery of this new bug, we have decided to expedite the shut-down of all Google+ APIs," Thacker said in a blog post. "While we recognize there are implications for developers, we want to ensure the protection of our users."