Google is taking another shot at building a social networking platform. The Area 120 unit, Google’s in-house team for experimental products, has developed a new social networking platform called Shoelace. The app focuses on helping people engage in real life.
Similar to interest-based match making apps, Google’s Shoelace encourages users to connect with shared interests through in person activities. For instance, people who have moved to a new city and are looking to make new friends who live nearby can use Shoelace.
Google is also addressing privacy concerns beforehand. “After installing the app, we ask each user to join a community– which often require verification– to ensure you only attend Loops with people you might want to know. We also work hard to make sure that everything you see in Shoelace- from profiles to Loops- is aligned with our House Rules and community standards. Think we missed something? Report a Loop or profile and we’ll work hard to fix the situation,” said the company on its website.
Shoelace is currently available in the US and operating through an invite-only basis. The application is available on both Android and iOS platforms. Users need to have a Google account to join the platform.
Google’s latest social network comes months after the company had to shut down Google+ over serious security bugs and poor user engagement. Google said its engineers found the APIs to be “challenging to develop and maintain.” The platform had suffered a major security breach last year which affected 52.5 million Google+ accounts.
Prior to Google+, the company experimented with another social networking platform called Buzz. Launched on February 9, 2010, the micro-blogging platform was discontinued one year later as Google shifted focus on Google+.
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