Google Buzz, which automatically selects the contacts frequently, can be problematic in terms of confidentiality. The Google newly launched social networking tool “Google Buzz” will takes place directly in Gmail. Millions of people wishes to start experiment as soon as their account displays a message asking them ‘if they want to start buzzer’. A step facilitated by the fact that no configuration is necessary. In reality, no configuration step is proposed, but for many it may be necessary.
Regular contacts revealed :
By default, a user will get automatically people in his contacts with whom he converses normally. As long as one uses his Gmail account regularly experience Buzz Google will begin with some subscriptions and some customers.
What in Google Buzz is not clear that without action from the user, such information is made public? Unless you change the profile settings, it then displays the persons with whom the user regularly exchanges emails, those who follow the buzz and those who are following the buzz.
For most of us, disclose such information would not be a problem. For others, it could cause embarrassment or even criticism. Some users definitely do not want to provide this information to everyone, it will go to the profile settings and uncheck “Show the list of people for whom I am subscribed and those who have subscribed to my updates” to conceal this information.
By integrating Buzz Gmail, Google also touches a raw nerve: the email. In the profile settings, offers a check assigning a URL friendlier to their profile, it will integrate its login Gmail and that will also know the email address belonging to the profile visited.
If this option is fortunately not enabled by default and controllable parameters of the profile, it is not even in the buzz. A simple answer to one of your contacts in a buzz as one “@ username” publicly unveil the email address to anyone following the buzz (if private, or the world s’ it is public)
These few problems in confidentiality could have been easily avoided by providing an additional configuration step when enabling Google Buzz, at least as regards the disclosure of contacts. Only two options would have sufficed, one asking what are their contacts the user wishes to follow and one proposing to make this information public or not.
Currently, the Gmail user is warned but must disable one by one the contacts user does not want to follow. Similarly, if briefly warned that buzz, profile (containing name and photo) is made public, user does not know that his list of contacts is frequently used as well.