Those Google Buzz privacy concerns were a pretty big deal when Google first rolled out the Twitter-esque social layer for Gmail. Inevitably, litigious Americans got together to launch a class action lawsuit in the hope of chipping off a big of cash from Google’s iceberg of money. And, you know, what: they’ve kind of succeeded. Google has just paid out $8.5m to settle the Google Buzz privacy class action lawsuit. However, that money is headed for privacy organisations and not the users with their hands outstretched for cash…
The big Google Buzz privacy issue was that Google launched it as an opt-out rather than opt-in service, shared user locations and linked them up with everyone in their Google address book – from friendly work colleagues to abusive ex-boyfriends. It was a PR nightmare.
In a piece of beautiful irony given the hammering directed at Google for privacy issues around products like Google Streetview, it has agreed to pay out $8.5m to organisations promoting privacy on the web. It’s sending an email out to users to tell them just that. While $8.5m is chump change for Google, it’s still a public shaming for the search giant.
Read Google’s mea culpa at the link below and hit the comments to let us know whether you’ve ever even used Buzz? Is Google Buzz sitting unloved in your Gmail account or did you find a use for it?
Out now | £free | Google
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