Google+ adds safeguards to help protect teenagers on social net, Hangouts
Google is widening the potential user base for
Google+ by lowering the age requirement from 18 to 13 years old -- a
move that could help it grow in Facebook's shadow.
Last week,
Bradley Horowitz, vice president of product at Google+,
announced the change in a
blog post.
He noted that Google wants to help teens share with their friends,
while also helping them keep from over-sharing, especially with
strangers.
"Teens and young adults are the most active
Internet users on the
planet," wrote Horowitz. "And surprise, surprise: they're also human
beings who enjoy spending time with friends and family. Put these two
things together and it's clear that teens will increasingly connect
online."
Teens were allowed onto the site immediately.
Ezra Gottheil, an analyst with Technology Business Research, noted
that by opening up the
social network to younger users, Google+ is
instantly widening its potential user base. And with an estimated 62
million users now, Google+ still has a long way to go to catch up with
Facebook, which has a reported 800 million users.
"This will help Google+ add more users to the site and that's
important right now," said Gottheil. "Facebook has a lot of younger
users. That's how they got their start. This just makes sense for
Google+."
Right now, Facebook requires that users be at least 13 years old to
join the social network. However, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckeberg said last
year that he'd
like to lower that minimum age limit. While he wasn't actively working on that issue at the time, he said he'd like to study it more.
Horowitz pointed out in his blog post that Google+ is adding security
safeguards to help protect teens that might be joining the site.
"The difference between friends, acquaintances and strangers is a
crucial one -- especially for teens," he wrote. "Google+ includes
circles to help people manage their different relationships, but we're
going a step further for our younger users."
Horowitz explained that with Google+, teens can share privately with
their circles or publicly with the world. "Posting something for
everyone to see is a big deal, however, so when teens try and share
outside their circles, we encourage them to think before they post," he
added.
Google+ is set up by default to only allow people in teens' circles
to contact them and it's designed features that enable teens to block
someone with just one or two clicks.
Google also is setting up special rules around Google+ Hangouts.
"Google+ Hangouts bring people together using live multi-person
video, and the results range from heartwarming to awe-inspiring," wrote
Horowitz. "However, we recognize that connecting face-to-face is special
and serious, so if a stranger outside a teen's circles joins the
Hangout, we temporarily remove the young adult, and give them a chance
to rejoin."
The social network also just set up the
Google+ Safety Center, where it details the new safeguards.
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Face.com’s CEO has shrugged off rumors that
it is being acquired by Facebook for up to $100 million when asked.
But the addition of its facial recognition tech to Facebook’s mobile
apps could make sure friend tagging continues as the social network’s
user base shifts away from desktops.
Facebook is dead serious about mobile. Today it begins rolling out Facebook Camera for iOS to English-speaking countries, a standalone photos app
where you can shoot, filter, and share single or sets of photos and
scroll through a feed of photos uploaded to Facebook by your friends.
Developed by Facebook’s photos team without the help of Instagram
because the acquisition deal hasn’t closed yet, Facebook Camera is designed for quicker publishing than Facebook’s multi-featured primary mobile app.
“We expect students to continue using
products such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other existing social
networks, as well as Bing, Google and other search tools. We hope to
encourage students to reimagine how our everyday communication and
learning tools can be improved, by researching, learning and sharing in
their everyday lives," says Microsoft on So.cl's FAQ page.
After slinging the upset birds at the green pigs in outer space, get
ready for a new, high-speed adventure with the Angry Birds. Makers of
the popular Angry Birds series, Rovio is all set for the next iteration
of the game called Angry Birds Heikki. Based on F1 racing, Angry Birds
Heikki is expected to release on June 18.
Details of the new game are bit sketchy, except that it will be a web-based one. Rovio
says the game will have “fun Angry Birds game levels with a racing
theme in addition to other bespoke content”. Rovio has partnered with
Finnish Formula 1 star Heikki Kovalainen, who will also be sporting a
brand new co-branded Angry Birds helmet. The Finnish game developer has
also set up a website featuring Angry Birds Heikki's preview.
Mr Zuckerberg's sister, Arielle Zuckerberg, posted, "Balls. Now I'm the only
unmarried Zuckerberg..." on her Facebook page. She is listed by Chan as a
family member on the site.
Last week, Bradley Horowitz, vice president of product at Google+, announced the change in a blog post.
He noted that Google wants to help teens share with their friends,
while also helping them keep from over-sharing, especially with
strangers.
Right now, Facebook requires that users be at least 13 years old to
join the social network. However, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckeberg said last
year that he'd like to lower that minimum age limit. While he wasn't actively working on that issue at the time, he said he'd like to study it more.
"The difference between friends, acquaintances and strangers is a
crucial one -- especially for teens," he wrote. "Google+ includes
circles to help people manage their different relationships, but we're
going a step further for our younger users."
