Privacy Problems with Google Buzz

The emergence of Google Buzz has thrown up a few privacy problems. Okay so your public profile throws up your name it also mentions who

Okay so what you might say.. it’s not very surprising if I email my boss and talk to my friend Ned. But, BusinessInsider points out three cases where it would be problematic:

1. Imagine if a wife discovering that her husband emails and chats with an old girlfriend a ton.
2. Imagine a boss discovers a subordinate emails with executives at a competitor.
3. Journalists with confidential contacts could suddenly find that compromised

Ways to avoid this:
1. Who you follow is by default public, go in, uncheck the box and switch it over to private
2. Follow everyone, as friend numbers go up, the importance of individual follows will go. Of course you’re following your ex, you’re also following your plumber etc.

Other privacy issues that crop up tend to be around the location tagging on Buzz mobile. The location aspect on Buzz isn’t new, I mean geotagging has been on Twitter for ages, but again, geo-tagging is pushed on Buzz Mobile. If you do it from home or work, it means the people you follow people will know where your home or office is. Maybe that’s fine, maybe it’s not, but remember to switch location off if you don’t want them to.

[via BusinessInsider]