Google Urges Users To Confirm Buzz Settings
April 6, 2010
| 9:47 AM
Plagued by privacy concerns over its social networking service Buzz, Google late Monday attempted to push the reset button by urging users to confirm their privacy settings.
In a post on Google's blog, Product Manager Todd Jackson acknowledged that, "Shortly after launching Google Buzz, we quickly realized we didn't get everything right and moved as fast as possible to improve the Buzz experience."
Among the criticisms of the service was that Google used Gmail users' e-mail contacts to create a set of friends. Google eventually moved to change this by offering these contacts as suggested people to follow on Buzz. Jackson noted in Monday's post, however, that these changes were made after some users began using Buzz, adding that "we want to help you ensure that Buzz is set up the way you want."
In response, users who began using Buzz before some of these changes were made will be asked to reconfirm their friends when they next log on to Buzz, he added. Their contact list will appear, allowing these early Buzz users to click on an "unfollow" icon to remove unwanted contacts.
Google may be aiming to head off attention from the FTC. The privacy group, the Electronic Privacy Information Center, filed a complaint in February with the FTC, saying Google's Buzz violates consumer privacy. This was followed last month by a letter to FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz from a group of House Energy and Commerce Committee members, who urged the agency to investigate complaints that Buzz and some of Google's other services may harm consumer privacy.
Google has defended its actions by noting that it has moved quickly to address concerns about Buzz and is open to further changes in response to user feedback.
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Privacy
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