After years of complaints, Google has finally dropped the real-name restrictions on its Google+ network. The company apologized for the “unnecessarily difficult experiences” the rules had created.

When Google+ first launched, Google required that users sign up with their real identities. Over time, those restrictions were lessened, first for Pages and then for YouTube users. Now, anyone can choose to use a pseudonym on Google+.

While Google+ started as a grand experiment to add a social layer across all of Google’s products, the service has languished in recent months. With the departure of Google+ chief Vic Gundotra in April, speculation arose that Google might kill off the social network, but co-founder Larry Page promised to “continue working hard to build great new experiences” for Google+ fans.

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