Google Apologizes for Buzz

[John Funk]

Google Apologizes for Buzz

Search giant Google has offered an apology for aspects of its new social networking service Buzz that have been criticized as being incredibly invasive to one's privacy.


Last week, IT behemoth Google launched downright dangerous [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/98197-Google-Launches-Buzz-Social-Networking-Utility].

As it turns out, even something the size of Google isn't unwilling to change (especially not in the face of such potentially awful PR). Over the weekend, a post on the Google Blog [http://gmailblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/new-buzz-start-up-experience-based-on.html] announced that Buzz would no longer contain an "auto-follow" feature that would automatically put you and your contacts on each others' lists, but would offer an "auto-suggest" feature that would present the same contacts but give users more control over who would have access to their data.

Buzz's automatic integration is also being scaled back with regards to Google Reader and Picasa, and Gmail will now include a specific Buzz tab where the service can (supposedly) be blocked completely, once and for all. "We quickly realized that we didn't get everything quite right," said Google's Todd Jackson, product manager for Buzz and Gmail, "We're very sorry for the concern we've caused and have been working hard ever since to improve things based on your feedback. We'll continue to do so."

It's certainly nice to see Google moving to address its significant missteps, but it's also odd to think that a company as forward-thinking and savvy as this one would miss all the potential pitfalls in the original implementation of Buzz. How did nobody there realize the PR nightmare they could have had on their hands?

(MSNBC [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35409762/ns/technology_and_science-tech_and_gadgets/?gt1=43001])

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[Russ Pitts]

Yeah, I have to agree that this was an incredibly bone-headed rollout for Google. Perhaps this is a "born before the Internet" point of view, but it's slightly terrifying to find out that the company with whom you've trusted all of your personal information, email data and contact lists can - and did - decide on a whim to make whatever the hell they want available to whoever the hell they want.

I wish them the best of luck turning this PR trainwreck around, but I, for one, have already begun looking for Gmail alternatives.

 

[fix-the-spade]

Nah this is google being Google.

Whilst they play these things down it wouldn't be surprising if their policy was to push privacy/access as far as they logically can, then only step back on the things people make a fuss about. That way they get to go further than they would have had they not been so completely out there with the initial release.

I seem to remember a small oversight happened with the Chrome EULA when that came out as well. A few days of people signing up and effectively handing over control of their privacy gives you a shed load of data that can be sold to advertisers and the like, I'd like to think Google was above that kind of thing, but I wouldn't count on it.

Privacy aside, anything that automatically goes into your email and networks up to all your contacts without asking is plain insidious...

 

[MurderousToaster]

I get where these people are coming from. I've never used Buzz or anything like that, but this seems downright intrusive to my privacy. I don't want all of my twitter posts or whatever being shown to anyone who's ever added me on Facebook (so many random people it hurts).

 

[benoitowns]

Its hilarious in the article of the woman complaining that she said she used Bing out of spite. She knows it sucks, but used if out spite! rofl

 

[Kiwibob]

You know, it probably has something called privacy settings where you can select what is shared...

 

[Jared]

And a good reason why goggle should stay good at what it does. Searching

 

[VitusPrime]

Does anyone actually like buzz? I happen to, and what people have failed to mention is all the "privacy" that people leak all over sites like face book.
Also if you don't lose it, you don't lose your privacy

 

[TheDoctor455]

Well... from an objective standpoint (well, as objective as any human being can get)... I can see why they thought the "auto-follow" feature was a good idea... it just makes things more convenient... but the obvious downside is of course, a complete and utter lack of privacy... but at least Google is responding to criticism well. Of course... I've never used G-mail or any of Google's services other than the basic search engine. The only time I tried out their browser, my computer was almost immediately loaded with viruses, as billions of pop-ups came up... chipping away at my attention.

 

[ZeroKadaver]

Myspace, Facebook, and all of the social networking sites since 1990 to now are horrible at internet security and it's all based on human input the truth is that social networks are just emails+more and it's a natural progression to email+ their system.

Everyone just loves logging into 5 emails, 5 times a day so why not make it easy and just Gmail it all? This is more Human Resources than actual Internet Security. BTW from what I remember its a beta!

 

[deathyepl]

Does anyone actually like buzz? I happen to, and what people have failed to mention is all the "privacy" that people leak all over sites like face book.
Also if you don't lose it, you don't lose your privacy

Sure, folks that use Facebook are used to having their privacy invaded. That's why a lot of us refuse to use Facebook. However, opting out of Buzz's privacy invasion was not an easy process, and you were automatically "opted in" just by being a Gmail user.

 

[Keslen]

My take on internet privacy (primarily through my FaceBook account) is a very simple one. Before I post anything I take myself through a hypothetical thought experiment where each and every person on the planet sees my posting. If the results of that scenario give me pause, I don't make the posting.

In addition, when Buzz was first rolled out, I instinctively avoided it. Even if it had offered any features that FaceBook doesn't, I still would have been reluctant to transfer over since it doesn't (and never will - barring extreme circumstances) offer the most important feature of a social networking site: the network. A vast majority of the people I want to network with are on FaceBook, not enough of them are on Buzz to make it worth joining for me. This fact alone will make it incredibly difficult for anyone to make a dent in FaceBook's market share.

Frankly, I'm surprised that Google didn't just buy FaceBook like they did YouTube.

 

[Pimppeter2]

Google apologized?

Whats next, Dick Cheney?

Has the world gone mad?

 

[crystalsnow]

Google has had a long and terrible history of fooling around with your privacy. The best reason why I will NEVER use chrome.

Whether or not you keep that privacy safe or not, you have no right to have it in the first place Google.

 

[Lucifron]

I, for one, welcome our new Google overlords.

 

[HolidayBrick]

I have gmail because it's good at email. I use facebook for social networking, because that's what it's good at. I use twitter to bother people because that's what it's good at.

Google Buzz... it's too much, too automatic, too late, too lame.

 

[Soxafloppin]

I really dont get the whole sociall networking thing! I actually regret making a bebo now!

 

[nosafetynets]

My take on internet privacy (primarily through my FaceBook account) is a very simple one. Before I post anything I take myself through a hypothetical thought experiment where each and every person on the planet sees my posting. If the results of that scenario give me pause, I don't make the posting.

In addition, when Buzz was first rolled out, I instinctively avoided it. Even if it had offered any features that FaceBook doesn't, I still would have been reluctant to transfer over since it doesn't (and never will - barring extreme circumstances) offer the most important feature of a social networking site: the network. A vast majority of the people I want to network with are on FaceBook, not enough of them are on Buzz to make it worth joining for me. This fact alone will make it incredibly difficult for anyone to make a dent in FaceBook's market share.

Facebook certainly does have a corner on the market, and while there are privacy concerns, they are no where near the level of those experienced by Myspace and the like. I joined Facebook back when it was only open to college students - it was a fantastic networking tool at that point. It's depressing/disgusting how far it has degenerated at this point. The only reason I stick with it anymore is to keep in touch with friends that I don't call regularly, etc. It's a false sense of closeness.

I can see where Buzz was coming from - it was very convenient to just add everyone in and auto-generate lists. But they've definitely got a PR nightmare coming from all of that. I wish them luck on their bounceback from this, but hopefully they'll think twice about opening up everyone's personal lives without first getting their consent. Even if it is a beta, that was a pretty drastic mistake to make.

 

[nosafetynets]

Google has had a long and terrible history of fooling around with your privacy. The best reason why I will NEVER use chrome.

Whether or not you keep that privacy safe or not, you have no right to have it in the first place Google.

The only time I tried out their browser, my computer was almost immediately loaded with viruses, as billions of pop-ups came up... chipping away at my attention.

I can't even begin to describe the bugs I've had to fix on friends' computers after they started using Chrome. So many viruses... It was like working in a robotic triage center. The worst part, some of them have even kept on using it, claiming that it wasn't Google, must have been something else - when they had never really had problems prior to using Chrome. To add on to that, they were also using Norton, but, well, that's another crapshoot.