Google Buzz: Privacy concerns grab gov't attention, hint at desperation
Summary: Google is under fire over privacy concerns. Was this a push to play catch up with other social networks?
Google Buzz continues to draw headlines - and that's not necessarily a good thing.
Up in Canada, public concerns over privacy in Google Buzz has grabbed the attention of the Office of the Privacy Commissioner. At issue is the way Google used Gmail contact information to kickstart Buzz by placing contacts into a user's network. Yesterday, the agency confirmed that it is looking into Buzz and could possibly have more to say about it as early as today, according to a CBC News report.
Back in the states, the Electronic Privacy Information Center has filed a complaint (PDF) with the Federal Trade Commission, arguing that Buzz violates consumer protection law. That group is calling for more changes to the service, including greater control over the service's settings.
I have to agree that the idea of people in my Gmail contacts list being automatically linked to my Google Buzz account was unsettling, especially because many people in that list aren't necessarily people I would be connected to in either a social or professional collaboration setting.
It's one thing to ask for permission to tap into my Gmail contacts list for the sake of suggesting other potential Buzz buddies, the same way Facebook, MySpace and Twitter started. The thing Google seems to have forgotten is that no one creates an instant social network - not in real life and not in an online world. My networks of Facebook friends and Twitter followers wasn't in placer from Day One. It took months. even years, to build those networks. to make those connections and to start sharing.
Quite frankly, there's a hint of desperation in Google's decision to thrust us into an instant social network. Is the company so late to the game, so far behind the others, that it has to try to close that gap quickly, without allowing the time for those networks to grow virally on their own?
Google Buzz has a lot of problems and things don't seem to be getting better. But Google certainly hasn't given up on Buzz. Statements issued today, in response to the complaint about the FTC matter, suggest that more improvements are coming. After all, Google said at Buzz's unveiling that Buzz was a work-in-progress and that it wanted some feedback so it could make improvements.
Just goes to show that you have to be careful what you ask for. You just might get it.
Kick off your day with ZDNet's daily email newsletter. It's the freshest tech news and opinion, served hot. Get it.
Talkback
Google has a HUGE problem here. They are
If you think about it, in 2009 the phrase was "Google us on the web", now it's "Visit us on Facebook".
It appears that Google doesn't handle rejection very well.
I agree...
Facebook and Twitter break Google's tyranny
Biggest problem is limited user base.
Right now, I can't see any reason to use Buzz. Only some of my contacts use Gmail and/or have Google accounts. Basically, it seems that unless you have a Google account, you can't use Buzz.
If that is true, then why on earth would all the people using FaceBook switch to Google Buzz? Same for Twitter. It's just pointless.
Buzz should have been a completely separate LAB feature
Irresponsible and downright foolish?
You decide.
Blunder
I disagree
I give us less than 50 years and it's THX 1138 made manifest...
Google is the new Microsoft
I won't install chrome on my system because I won't give anyone permission to "update" my system at will and without my scrutiny. Forced updates remove the user's right to a stable system.
As an Australian, Google's scan the worlds books project with a deal with an [b]American[/b] court which has [b]NO[/b] jurisdiction here but still they intend to bully Australian authors and publishers into accepting their crummy deal.
It's about time Google's monopolies were investigated and its various divisions like the book monopoly (enforced by that American court decision) and its search etc were broken up in some enforced way like Bell telephone was forced to split up.
Monopolies
Agreed
lehnerus2000
You make a good point there.
I won't use Buzz
For me there is a clear line between exchanging an e-mail with someone and collaborating socially with someone. Even if it is a business collaboration I understand there will be some back and forth and a social network may make sense. But not all of my e-mail contacts fall into that category.
In fact my contacts are so large in number that if I had to "opt-out" each one I did NOT want in a social web, I would have to take 5 vacation days and do nothing but sort through contacts.
If Google had allowed me to build my own social network with some of my gmail contacts and some of the contacts I have from non-gmail users, I might have looked at the service.
But for me, to many of my contacts rely on me keeping their information private. Google screwed up on this one.
What About Yahoo and Live? They've done the same thing! ;)
Live, Yahoo Mail and Google's Gmail. All of them
have recently been accessing my list of friends and
addresses in an effort to get you connected with
each other. Yahoo is the most obvious and they
include MS Hot Mail and Live users. In fact it's
atrocious how they are soliciting connections w/o
your permission for a connect up. Which is now
being inundated with spam users trying to connect
to you!
So to me Buzz is really not offensive at all
compared to these competitors and Facebook is
loaded with apps ripping off your information and
constantly requesting that you grant access to
these predatory application abusers!
How is Google Buzz any different? I'll how! ....you
are constantly given choice and the check boxes are
never pre-selected! ;)
Yahoo didn't...
lehnerus2000
NOT True and You're in denial! :D
Account with Chat from MSN Live. Invites coming
out my ears from my friends list/address book
and many I've never
heard of before!
You don't even have to use Buzz and if you say
you do, then you're full of ****. I have
received no invites except from people I
actually know in Gmail for Buzz. If don't
actually have a Gmail account, why the hell are
you morons claiming this as fact? Google is
going to win this hands down. You don't think
they had their lawyers on this before it
launched? They not Facebook selling your info
and automatically locking you into an account
you can NEVER REALLY CLOSE!!!
They're not Yahoo either in desperate need of
cash, so they make a deal with the devil
(Microsoft)!
In the end this will all be laughable and
whoever they get as a judge on this case will
toss it in a heartbeat! haha... ;)
That didn't happen to me
I don't use Yahoo Chat anyway. I had problems with it always trying to turn itself on (It never connected to anyone though). I think that they changed it because when I complained, they told me how to turn it off.
Following their instructions, it turned off and I haven't had a problem with it since (I was sure that I had done what they suggested, before I had even complained, so that's why I think they changed it).
lehnerus2000
Re: NOT True...
Yes, you can get spam friend requests, but can easily turn that off.
just cheap shots
... Uh?
I am not suprised of the Commission of Privacy of Canada's decision to look intro goodle's blunder(they actually sued Facebook btw).
I would have the same stance for every compagny...
dont attack my privacy...
PS: your just frustrated that Google did something stupid and youre trying to deflect the attention towards MS... instead of giving us a good argument for Google's blunder...
it was no blunder