Google Plus makes Gender a Private matter

Users no longer need to disclose their gender on their Google Plus Profiles. The new privacy feature was added by Google+ after users requested it. Gender can be a sensitive topic, especially on the internet, says Frances Haugen, a Google product manger working on Google Profiles.

One of the things for which Google+ uses gender related information is picking pronounce. For users that decide to make their Gender related information private, Google will use gender neutral language to describe them to anyone who encounters Gender related information about them but doesn't have the permission to see their gender. For example Google will use “Craig added you to their circles” instead of saying “Craig added you to his circles”, she explains.