This is kind of important and needs sharing widely. Where will the profiles go?

This is kind of important and needs sharing widely. Where will the profiles go?

Originally shared by Julian Bond

About Me and Profile Data

There doesn't seem to be any information in the Google Plus close down announcements and FAQs about what happens to the data in https://aboutme.google.com/ and our public profile and avatar. There is mention in the GSuite documents that Vanity URLs will stop working but it suggests that the numeric ID URLs will still be available. However that might only be for GSuite customers and not for consumer Google Plus users.

The Takeout files are littered with a mix of vanity and numeric URL links along with the avatar images. The circle takeout files especially contain no contact information except the profile URL. Even if the other user has made their email address pubic it's not in the takeout file. So the only way of contacting the person or importing actual data into Contacts is to view their profile. A critical part of this is the Sites section of Aboutme containing links to other web platforms. This Aboutme data is shared with other Google platforms such as GMail, Contacts, Photos, Maps. At least some of it is available via the People API even though the G+People API will disappear as of Mar 7. So it does feel like the data won't disappear. But will there be a stand alone profile display?

AFAIK, no advice has been given that we need to download profile data before 2-April
https://takeout.google.com/settings/takeout/custom/profile
Again suggesting that profile data will not disappear.

So can Google please confirm or deny if the profile URL will continue to work and redirect to something like https://profiles.google.com/$NUMERICID as it did before GooglePlus. And that there will be some UI to view other people's profiles after Google Plus closes down.

Feedback sent on the aboutme page.