Google+ Opens Up To Teens, Safety Features In Place

Google+, the fastest growing social network of all time, has announced that starting today, Worldwide, they’re open to teens. Previously, you had to be 18 or over to join the site, but that has changed.

Teens are a very big demographic and take up a good chunk of Internet use. For Google to deny them access means to leave out Millions and Millions of users who could potentially benefit from the social network and hopefully use it on a daily basis.

Being that the tech giant is very serious about privacy, they also have some safety features in place to help protect teens from, for example, posting not-so-good details publicly or if a stranger joins a hangout.

Via Bradley Horowitz, VP Product of Google+:

Sharing content
With Google+ you can share privately with your 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.

Receiving notifications
Google+ is a great place to connect with close friends, as well as discover others with common interests. We want to help people explore the community safely, however, so we give users control over who can contact them online. By default, only those in teens’ circles can say hello, and blocking someone is always just a click or two away.

Hanging out with friends
Google+ Hangouts bring people together using live multi-person video, and the results range from heartwarming to awe-inspiring. 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.

Do you think it’s a good idea to let teens use Google+? Why or why not?