Google Caught Up in Rare Public Privacy Outcry

That effort has horribly backfired. In its rush to release Google Buzz to the world in order to compete with Facebook and Twitter (or rather, to help commoditize both competitors as much as possible), Google forgot to allow a customization function to allow Google Gmail users who wanted to use the new Buzz product to not be automatically connected to following ex-spouses, former employers and -- fill in the blank. This "auto-follow" feature, although deployed with good intentions, immediately drew a firestorm of criticism around this web this past weekend. What was Google thinking?

It wasn't thinking. There are plenty of people who use --- and criticize --- Facebook for its lackadaisical approach to user privacy. Twitter is public without being too private, and Google Buzz wanted to get in the game from an admittedly "make it stupid-proof" perspective by making all kinds of links without respecting each Gmail user's preferences. Big mistake.

If Google made a public profile of you without asking and started connecting users to that information based on your past email and contacts, what would you think? Google is now in the process of making quite a few changes to address ongoing privacy concerns, and although "millions are already using" Google Buzz, that doesn't erase the large black eye Google given itself. It will take a long time for Google to regain the trust of many of its customers.