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Google has agreed to establish a "comprehensive privacy program" to settle allegations that last year's launch of Google Buzz, a foray by the Web giant into social networking, initially shared more information than users reasonably expected.
The Federal Trade Commission said today that the Mountain View, Calif.-based company has entered into a settlement agreement, which does not admit any wrongdoing, that includes regular reports on its privacy practices prepared by an independent professional for the next 20 years.
"When companies make privacy pledges, they need to honor them," said Jon Leibowitz, the Democratic chairman of the FTC. "This is a tough settlement that ensures that Google will honor its commitments to consumers and build strong privacy protections into all of its operations."
The settlement, approved 5-0 by the commissioners, is subject to public comment and final approval. Commissioner J. Thomas Rosch, a Republican, suggested in a separate statement that he has "substantial reservations" about the scope of the settlement.
Did Google agree to it "because it was being challenged by other government agencies and it wanted to 'get the commission off its back?'" Rosch wrote.
The worrisome section, he said, was three paragraphs that said Google will "obtain express affirmative consent" from users -- opt-in, in other words -- any time it proposes any "additional sharing" of certain types of user information. That appears to levy new restrictions on Google's ability to launch new products that will not apply to its larger social-network competitors, including Facebook, Twitter, and even Apple and LinkedIn.
Related links
Google's social side hopes to catch some Buzz
What Google needs to learn from Buzz backlash
Google changes Buzz privacy settings--again
In a blog post this morning, Google product privacy director Alma Whitten apologized for the privacy misstep, saying Buzz's launch "fell short of our usual standards for transparency and user control--letting our users and Google down."
Google Buzz disclosed your "followers" and who you were "following" only if you had elected to publish that information publicly on your Google profile in the first place. But critics have charged that the choices were not as obvious as they could have been and violated a law enforced by the FTC prohibiting "deceptive" business practices.
More to come...
Disclosure: Declan McCullagh is married to a Google employee who is not involved with Google Buzz.
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The Federal Trade Commission said today that the Mountain View, Calif.-based company has entered into a settlement agreement, which does not admit any wrongdoing, that includes regular reports on its privacy practices prepared by an independent professional for the next 20 years.
"When companies make privacy pledges, they need to honor them," said Jon Leibowitz, the Democratic chairman of the FTC. "This is a tough settlement that ensures that Google will honor its commitments to consumers and build strong privacy protections into all of its operations."
The settlement, approved 5-0 by the commissioners, is subject to public comment and final approval. Commissioner J. Thomas Rosch, a Republican, suggested in a separate statement that he has "substantial reservations" about the scope of the settlement.
Did Google agree to it "because it was being challenged by other government agencies and it wanted to 'get the commission off its back?'" Rosch wrote.
The worrisome section, he said, was three paragraphs that said Google will "obtain express affirmative consent" from users -- opt-in, in other words -- any time it proposes any "additional sharing" of certain types of user information. That appears to levy new restrictions on Google's ability to launch new products that will not apply to its larger social-network competitors, including Facebook, Twitter, and even Apple and LinkedIn.
Related links
Google's social side hopes to catch some Buzz
What Google needs to learn from Buzz backlash
Google changes Buzz privacy settings--again
In a blog post this morning, Google product privacy director Alma Whitten apologized for the privacy misstep, saying Buzz's launch "fell short of our usual standards for transparency and user control--letting our users and Google down."
Google Buzz disclosed your "followers" and who you were "following" only if you had elected to publish that information publicly on your Google profile in the first place. But critics have charged that the choices were not as obvious as they could have been and violated a law enforced by the FTC prohibiting "deceptive" business practices.
More to come...
Disclosure: Declan McCullagh is married to a Google employee who is not involved with Google Buzz.
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