Google and privacy rights; the Buzz incident

Google and privacy rights; the Buzz incident

Google released this week that it was settling a class action lawsuit that began over its new social networking service, Google Buzz, which integrates user's Gmail accounts with the product's social networking function. The $8.5m settlement will be officially approved 31 January, 2011.

The much awaited class action settlement hinges on the fact that on its launch, Google Buzz automatically included all Gmail users. User's gmail contacts were made public as a consquence.

Google provided users a an opt-out alternative, but this was insufficent for quite a few who believed the system was deceptive and complicated. A 2nd year Harvard law student was among them.

Ms Hibnick did not opt out of the program, and Google made all her Gmail contacts public through Buzz; she made the decision to check out the legal side of her complaint. Via a few friends at Harvard, she was put in touch with lawyers, and not long after official class actions claims were filed. Most of the settlement involves Google paying for the establishment of an $8.5m fund for non-profits that focus on internet privacy issues.

Google doesn't exactly have a outstanding track record when it comes to privacy issues. While Google was updating Googe Maps in Canada, they by mistake harvested large amounts of personal information from close by wifi networks .

Taking into consideration how much humans value privacy, and how much power Google can exercise; it is likely a good thing that search engine is being checked out. Let us not forget, though, that Google is a immense corporation with a great deal to manage, and numerous competitors.

When a organisation the size of Google makes errors there is as much chance that it is merely an oversight. The public should hold Google responsible for its actions, but not vilify it.

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