IF: Privacy and Google Buzz

I was recently listening to one of my regular podcasts, Geek Nights, and was interested to hear what they had to say about Google Buzz, and for once I have to disagree with them. Their claim was that no one should be upset at Google for making users' contact lists public because 1) people shouldn't have anything to hide and if they do they need to fix it and 2) because people shouldn't have any expectation of privacy on the internet if using a service like Google.

As for #1, I don't know what to say. People have their reasons for wanting to keep aspects of their life private from the rest of the world. Some of these reasons are valid and really aren't a sign of personal troubles. One that comes to mind is if someone is kinky and their mother starts to ask about who MistressSpankums (I made this up, if MistressSpankums exists I apologize) is. Now, most parents are happy not to know certain things about the lives of their adult children and it really isn't the place of the guys at Geek Nights, Google or anyone else to undermine that desire as long as what is going on isn't illegal.

In regards to #2 I think they are missing the point as to why people are upset. Up until this point there was an understanding between Google and its users. That understanding was that the information contained in someone's account, while not 100% under their control, would not be released for everyone to see without notice. There was no notice by Google that they would do this and as far as I am aware no large email provider has ever done that. Basically, Google changed the rules of the game without telling people. Legally did they have the right to do this? Maybe. Phone companies require a subpoena to release phone records. Was it included in the tiny print somewhere? Maybe. Did they have the understanding with their customers that this was something that was okay? No. So yes, people were upset when they were led to believe that their contact list was private and then suddenly, without warning, Google decided that it was not.

So sorry Rym and Scott but I'm going to have to disagree with you on this show. I think your view of privacy is based from living a very privileged life where you have the understanding and ability to set up your own private servers to protect what information gets shared with the rest of the world. Not everyone is so lucky and that doesn't mean that they are any less deserving of privacy than you.