Google+ Update: What to Do When Google Deletes Your Private Profile After July 31?

Do you have a private Google profile? If yes, then you better make it public before July 31 to avoid being deleted.

Earlier, Google had allowed its users to create and maintain private profiles. But, in a bid to usher in its new social network Google+, the company is going to stop allowing users to have profiles on its service without revealing their existence publicly, and it will be effective from August, Search Engine Land reported.

Illustrating its efforts to encourage interaction through its properties, Google updated its public profile page more than a couple of months back to inform users of this impending change. It stated:

The purpose of Google Profiles is to enable you to manage your online identity. Today, nearly all Google Profiles are public. We believe that using Google Profiles to help people find and connect with you online is how the product is best used. Private profiles don't allow this, so we have decided to require all profiles to be public.

Keep in mind that your full name is the only required information that will be displayed on your profile; you'll be able to edit or remove any other information that you don't want to share.

If you currently have a private profile but you do not wish to make your profile public, you can delete your profile. Or, you can simply do nothing. All private profiles will be deleted after July 31, 2011.

What you have to do?

If you want to continue using Google's social products and looking to use Google+, you must have at least your full name and gender shown publicly. Unlike the Google Buzz that forced its users to go public, but changed its plans later, Google does not seem to make any changes with its plans this time with Google+ as these were premeditated.

However, regardless of the public status of your profile, you can still hide your profile from showing up in Google search that makes it effectively private. You just have to visit the profile privacy settings and uncheck the Help others find my profile in search results option.

Meanwhile, people are looking skeptic about the move, which Google thinks will be helpful to push the Google+ Project.

Seems an odd move given that Google seem to have gotten it right so far with regard to privacy on their new network. Taking a backward step here, said a user.

So Goog have learned absolutely nothing from Facebook then, said another user.

Despite still being in the trial stage, Google+ has got thousands of users and a number of people are hunting down invites to experience what could be the Facebook look-alike. It took Facebook around 3 years to charm Myspace users. How much time will Google+ take to repeat the same with Facebook? Or, will it ever happen?