Research: Google+ already has 10 million users

by Steven Mostyn - Jul 13 2011, 09:36

Facebook and Twitter beware. Although Google’s new social network isn’t yet available to the great unwashed, it’s already shaping up to be a serious contender in the social networking arena.

That’s according to online research carried out by Ancestry.com founder Paul Allen, who has estimated that the beta version of Google+ has amassed close to 10 million global users since Google began issuing invites two weeks ago.

“By using a sample of 100-200 surnames, I am able to accurately estimate that the total percentage of the US population that has signed up for Google+,” outlined Allen in a Google+ post.

“Then I use that number and a calculated ratio of US to non-US users to generate my worldwide estimates.”

Google+ has some serious catching up to do if its California-based creators hope to overhaul market leaders Facebook and Twitter, which boast respective user bases of 750 million and 300 million.

Technology giant Google has not yet offered any official usage figures in relation to the limited field trial of its latest social networking platform.

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