Google+ was launched in 2011 with high hopes of becoming a credible competitor to Facebook. However, it struggled to gain traction, and user engagement remained disappointingly low. Despite Google’s attempts to integrate the platform into their ecosystem of services, the majority of users didn’t find it compelling enough to shift from established social media platforms. Google’s focus on other successful services, such as YouTube and Gmail, further hindered the growth of Google+. Finally, in 2018, it was announced that the platform would be shut down due to security concerns. Google+ serves as a cautionary tale of a failed attempt to break into the social media market dominated by Facebook.#22#