The mea culpa after an outcry over privacy intrusions following the launch of Buzz on 9 February.
.
The BBC reports the company failed to trial the service with external testers and just used employees.
This was against the grain for Google, which usually tests all new products with its Trusted Tester programme, a network of friends and family who get confidential access to new ventures before they’re launched.
For some reason, Buzz never reached the Trusted Testers.
———————————————————
More on Google:
– Ten ways Google is taking over the world
– Top tips for your Google Nexus One
———————————————————–
The privacy fears ignited by Buzz were mainly down to its ready made list of friends based on who people most frequently emailed.
Unless you changed the privacy setting, this list was automatically made public.
Not great for journos, businesses or for those whose Facebook relationship status would truthfully be listed as ‘complicated’.
And more worryingly activists in places like, err, China.
Buzz product manager Todd Jackson now says Google will only suggest friends for users and added the company was “very, very sorry” and “knew it had to improve things.”
Link: BBC
