few days ago, I read in various media and to discuss in groups of professionals on privacy Google Buzz , the new product / service Google which was released the market last February 2. Google came back into the social networking world (as it did previously in 2004 when he launched the social network Orkut ), aiming this time to develop a new network, giving rise to Gmail users and other Google products can manage and share information more efficiently and in real time. So far everything seems to be positive, however, and this part of the problem and the reason why the company has received substantial criticism is that when a user is enlisted in the service, the default application, making the user's contacts with the 40 who have more treatment through email and chat and adds to his followers to Google Buzz. This might be fine if it had not been because maybe the user does not want anyone to know that people will follow and which continues, especially if we think about countries where freedom is restricted and where it is appropriate that a person is relate to particular individuals or political trends, as is the case of lovers or private relationships that are not public in nature are those that can link users to members of competitors, journalists and their sources, doctors and patients etc., make those public lists can create serious problems
IMHO, Google does not seem to have done so in bad faith or knowingly or above certain ethic to achieve greater acceptance of the product in question or a better return it, I think it was an oversight in the rush to provide a more efficient and user friendly. However should care more for the privacy of its products, it is a subject which has received criticism and by his own competitors like Facebook and also have previously received. Also worth noting that the privacy or data protection is an issue to be taken into account in the European market in order to comply with the law force and the willingness of users if they wish to maintain the privacy of what your contacts.
Finally, I believe that although the service benefits are substantial, we must also consider the cons that it entails. Also stressed that, as happens with other social networks in order to maintain the privacy standards is highly recommended to learn before our rights as users of the same well as the tips and manuals from protection agencies data are provided to users (AVPD , AEPD ).
Before to finish this post, I checked that from the Gmail Blog , and there was no response by Todd Jackson the wave of complaints from many disgruntled users, it explained that the original intention was to disseminate the way Buzz "quick and easy, so that users do not have to create a network from scratch." However, as published "The Country" a week ago: " Information Center Electronic Privacy ( EPIC) of the United States has filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) arguing Buzz violates federal law protecting the user. The EPIC complaint urges the FTC to complain to Google Buzz is a completely independent and stop using private contact list from Gmail to compile lists and create the network in addition to giving the user a "significant control" over their data personal. "This is a significant blow to the expectations of privacy that users have. Google does not should be allowed to use the personal information of users to create a social network that they have not asked," said EPIC executive director Marc Rotenberg.
hope that this unpleasant situation, the Google team draw the appropriate conclusions not to happen again this sort of thing, and that social networks can be very good, but should never be windows for privacy.
