Google is working to repair the tarnished image of Buzz, its Gmail-connected social-networking play. Google launched Google Buzz on Feb. 9, activating it for all Gmail users.
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When users began viewing the service, they were automatically listed as following posts from their most common e-mail contacts. Participation in the service also created a public profile that included contacts. Google has changed the service twice since launch, but the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) said the privacy violations still stand. Now Google is making additional changes.
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Google bungled the privacy issue with Buzz at launch and misjudged the reaction. They’ve had to backtrack and fix it, said Greg Sterling, principal analyst at Sterling Market Intelligence. This is part of an ongoing effort to do so, although there are several indications that the product isn’t being very widely used. It thus may turn out to be too late.
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Third Time the Charm?
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Google had to make a move. In February, EPIC filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission, asking the commission to require Google to make Google Buzz fully opt-in, stop using Gmail users’ private address-book contacts to compile social-networking lists, and give Google users meaningful control over their personal data.
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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, said Todd Jackson, a Gmail product manager. We made a number of changes to the getting-started experience based on your feedback, the most significant of which was replacing auto-following with suggestions for people to follow.
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Rather than automatically setting users to follow the people they e-mail and chat with the most — Google’s aim was to prevent people from having to build a social network from scratch — Google Buzz now suggests potential follow candidates. This way, Jackson said, Buzz is…