<s>
Google	B-Application
Buzz	I-Application
was	O
a	O
social	O
networking	O
,	O
microblogging	B-Application
and	O
messaging	O
tool	O
that	O
was	O
developed	O
by	O
Google	B-Application
which	O
replaced	O
Google	B-Application
Wave	I-Application
and	O
integrated	O
into	O
their	O
web-based	B-Protocol
email	I-Protocol
program	O
,	O
Gmail	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
October	O
14	O
,	O
2011	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
announced	O
that	O
it	O
would	O
discontinue	O
the	O
service	O
and	O
that	O
the	O
existing	O
content	O
would	O
be	O
available	O
in	O
read-only	O
mode	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Buzz	O
was	O
discontinued	O
on	O
December	O
15	O
,	O
2011	O
,	O
and	O
superseded	O
by	O
Google+	B-Application
(	O
which	O
was	O
later	O
discontinued	O
on	O
April	O
2	O
,	O
2019	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Picasa	B-Application
,	O
Flickr	B-Algorithm
,	O
Google	B-Application
Latitude	I-Application
,	O
Google	B-Application
Reader	I-Application
,	O
Google	B-Application
Sidewiki	I-Application
,	O
YouTube	B-General_Concept
,	O
Blogger	B-Application
,	O
FriendFeed	O
,	O
identi.ca	B-Protocol
and	O
Twitter	B-Application
were	O
integrated	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
creation	O
of	O
Buzz	O
was	O
seen	O
by	O
industry	O
analysts	O
as	O
an	O
attempt	O
by	O
Google	B-Application
to	O
compete	O
with	O
social	O
networking	O
websites	O
like	O
Facebook	B-Application
and	O
microblogging	B-Application
services	O
like	O
Twitter	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Buzz	O
also	O
included	O
several	O
user	O
interface	O
elements	O
from	O
other	O
Google	B-Application
products	O
(	O
e.g.	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
Reader	I-Application
)	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
ability	O
to	O
"	O
like	O
"	O
a	O
post	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
co-founder	O
Sergey	O
Brin	O
said	O
that	O
by	O
offering	O
social	O
communications	O
,	O
Buzz	O
would	O
help	O
bridge	O
the	O
gap	O
between	O
work	O
and	O
leisure	O
,	O
but	O
the	O
service	O
was	O
strongly	O
criticized	O
when	O
it	O
was	O
introduced	O
for	O
insufficient	O
attention	O
to	O
users	O
 '	O
privacy	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
May	O
2010	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
revealed	O
APIs	B-General_Concept
for	O
Buzz	O
,	O
expanding	O
it	O
to	O
being	O
a	O
platform	B-Device
as	O
well	O
as	O
a	O
service	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Several	O
partners	O
demonstrated	O
integration	O
via	O
the	O
new	O
APIs	B-General_Concept
,	O
including	O
Seesmic	O
and	O
Socialwok	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Users	O
were	O
only	O
permitted	O
to	O
use	O
the	O
actual	O
physical	O
location	O
reported	O
by	O
the	O
device	O
for	O
their	O
Buzz	O
posts	O
;	O
unlike	O
the	B-Application
Google	I-Application
Latitude	O
location-sharing	O
service	O
,	O
Buzz	O
did	O
not	O
allow	O
users	O
to	O
manually	O
specify	O
an	O
arbitrary	O
location	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
mobile	O
version	O
of	O
Buzz	O
integrated	O
with	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
so	O
users	O
could	O
see	O
who	O
was	O
around	O
them	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Buzz	O
posts	O
made	O
through	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
were	O
public	O
and	O
could	O
be	O
seen	O
by	O
anybody	O
else	O
who	O
was	O
using	O
the	O
software	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Platforms	B-Device
supported	O
were	O
limited	O
to	O
devices	O
running	O
Android	B-Application
1.6	O
+	O
,	O
iOS	B-Operating_System
,	O
Windows	B-Operating_System
Mobile	I-Operating_System
,	O
Openwave	B-Application
and	O
S60	B-Language
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
Buzz	I-Application
was	O
announced	O
on	O
February	O
9	O
,	O
2010	O
,	O
in	O
a	O
press	O
conference	O
at	O
the	O
company	O
's	O
Mountain	O
View	O
headquarters	O
and	O
launched	O
on	O
the	O
same	O
day	O
,	O
at	O
11	O
a.m.	O
PT	O
for	O
the	O
first	O
set	O
of	O
users	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
feature	O
,	O
available	O
from	O
the	O
Gmail	B-Application
inbox	O
,	O
was	O
rolled	O
out	O
to	O
Gmail	B-Application
accounts	O
in	O
the	O
following	O
weeks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
mobile	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
site	O
optimized	O
for	O
Android	B-Application
phones	I-Application
and	O
Apple	O
's	O
iPhone	O
was	O
also	O
launched	O
,	O
while	O
a	O
version	O
for	O
businesses	O
and	O
schools	O
that	O
use	O
Google	B-Application
Apps	I-Application
was	O
only	O
planned	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Within	O
56	O
hours	O
of	O
its	O
release	O
,	O
9	O
million	O
posts	O
were	O
made	O
on	O
Google	B-Application
Buzz	I-Application
—	O
approximately	O
160,000	O
posts	O
and	O
comments	O
per	O
hour	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
October	O
14	O
,	O
2011	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
announced	O
that	O
Google	B-Application
Buzz	I-Application
would	O
be	O
shut	O
down	O
together	O
with	O
the	O
Buzz	O
API	B-General_Concept
"	O
in	O
a	O
few	O
weeks	O
"	O
,	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
focus	O
on	O
Google+	B-Application
instead	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Bradley	O
Horowitz	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
's	I-Application
Vice	O
President	O
,	O
Product	O
,	O
explained	O
the	O
ramifications	O
,	O
"	O
While	O
people	O
obviously	O
wo	O
n't	O
be	O
able	O
to	O
create	O
new	O
posts	O
after	O
that	O
,	O
they	O
will	O
be	O
able	O
to	O
view	O
their	O
existing	O
content	O
on	O
their	O
Google	B-Application
Profile	I-Application
and	O
download	O
it	O
using	O
Google	B-Application
Takeout	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
also	O
said	O
,	O
"	O
We	O
learned	O
a	O
lot	O
from	O
products	O
like	O
Buzz	O
and	O
are	O
putting	O
that	O
learning	O
to	O
work	O
every	O
day	O
in	O
our	O
vision	O
for	O
products	O
like	O
Google+	B-Application
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
discontinued	O
on	O
December	O
15	O
,	O
2011	O
and	O
all	O
content	O
users	O
saved	O
on	O
the	O
service	O
were	O
saved	O
to	O
the	O
user	O
's	O
Google	B-Application
Drive	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google+	B-Application
was	O
shutdown	O
on	O
April	O
2	O
,	O
2019	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
cited	O
low	O
user	O
engagement	O
and	O
software	O
security	O
issues	O
for	O
the	O
shutdown	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
launch	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
's	I-Application
decision	O
to	O
opt-in	O
its	O
user	O
base	O
with	O
weak	O
privacy	O
settings	O
caused	O
a	O
breach	O
of	O
user	O
information	O
and	O
garnered	O
significant	O
criticism	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
feature	O
in	O
particular	O
that	O
was	O
widely	O
criticized	O
as	O
a	O
severe	O
privacy	O
flaw	O
was	O
that	O
by	O
default	O
Google	B-Application
Buzz	I-Application
publicly	O
disclosed	O
(	O
on	O
the	O
user	O
's	O
Google	B-Application
profile	I-Application
)	O
a	O
list	O
of	O
the	O
names	O
of	O
Gmail	B-Application
contacts	O
that	O
the	O
user	O
has	O
most	O
frequently	O
emailed	O
or	O
chatted	O
with	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
Profiles	I-Application
existed	O
before	O
Buzz	O
and	O
could	O
be	O
set	O
by	O
the	O
user	O
to	O
be	O
public	O
or	O
not	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
2010	O
New	O
York	O
Times	O
article	O
characterized	O
Google	B-Application
as	O
being	O
"	O
known	O
for	O
releasing	O
new	O
products	O
before	O
they	O
are	O
fully	O
ready	O
and	O
then	O
improving	O
them	O
over	O
time	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
twice	O
tried	O
to	O
address	O
privacy	O
concerns	O
:	O
first	O
by	O
making	O
the	O
option	O
to	O
disable	O
public	O
sharing	O
of	O
contact	O
lists	O
more	O
prominent	O
and	O
later	O
by	O
changing	O
one	O
of	O
Buzz	O
's	O
features	O
from	O
"	O
auto-follow	O
"	O
to	O
"	O
auto-suggest	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
changes	O
to	O
the	O
way	O
that	O
Google	B-Application
Buzz	I-Application
operates	O
were	O
,	O
however	O
,	O
criticized	O
as	O
inadequate	O
and	O
the	O
company	O
was	O
criticized	O
for	O
failing	O
to	O
take	O
its	O
users	O
 '	O
privacy	O
concerns	O
seriously	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Among	O
other	O
initial	O
problems	O
,	O
users	O
who	O
had	O
never	O
created	O
a	O
Google	B-Application
profile	I-Application
had	O
no	O
way	O
to	O
make	O
their	O
list	O
of	O
contacts	O
or	O
other	O
information	O
private	O
,	O
which	O
resulted	O
in	O
negative	O
publicity	O
from	O
a	O
case	O
involving	O
information	O
about	O
a	O
woman	O
's	O
current	O
workplace	O
and	O
partner	O
being	O
shared	O
with	O
her	O
abusive	O
ex-husband	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Concerns	O
were	O
also	O
raised	O
that	O
because	O
the	O
mobile	O
version	O
of	O
Google	B-Application
Buzz	I-Application
by	O
default	O
published	O
the	O
user	O
's	O
exact	O
location	O
when	O
they	O
posted	O
a	O
message	O
to	O
the	O
service	O
,	O
users	O
might	O
unintentionally	O
reveal	O
sensitive	O
locations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
February	O
16	O
,	O
2010	O
,	O
Eva	O
Hibnick	O
,	O
a	O
student	O
at	O
Harvard	O
Law	O
School	O
,	O
filed	O
a	O
class	O
action	O
lawsuit	O
against	O
Google	B-Application
,	O
alleging	O
that	O
Buzz	O
violated	O
several	O
federal	O
laws	O
meant	O
to	O
protect	O
privacy	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
the	O
same	O
day	O
,	O
the	O
Electronic	O
Privacy	O
Information	O
Center	O
(	O
EPIC	O
)	O
filed	O
a	O
complaint	O
with	O
the	O
Federal	O
Trade	O
Commission	O
alleging	O
that	O
Google	B-Application
Buzz	I-Application
"	O
violated	O
user	O
expectations	O
,	O
diminished	O
user	O
privacy	O
,	O
contradicted	O
Google	B-Application
's	I-Application
privacy	O
policy	O
,	O
and	O
may	O
have	O
violated	O
federal	O
wiretap	O
laws	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Also	O
on	O
February	O
16	O
,	O
2010	O
,	O
the	O
Electronic	O
Frontier	O
Foundation	O
wrote	O
"	O
These	O
problems	O
arose	O
because	O
Google	B-Application
attempted	O
to	O
overcome	O
its	O
market	O
disadvantage	O
in	O
competing	O
with	O
Twitter	B-Application
and	O
Facebook	B-Application
by	O
making	O
a	O
secondary	O
use	O
of	O
your	O
information	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
leveraged	O
information	O
gathered	O
in	O
a	O
popular	O
service	O
(	O
Gmail	B-Application
)	O
with	O
a	O
new	O
service	O
(	O
Buzz	O
)	O
and	O
set	O
a	O
default	O
to	O
sharing	O
your	O
email	O
contacts	O
to	O
maximize	O
uptake	O
of	O
the	O
service	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
process	O
,	O
the	O
privacy	O
of	O
Google	B-Application
users	O
was	O
overlooked	O
and	O
ultimately	O
compromised.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
November	O
2	O
,	O
2010	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
e‑mailed	O
Gmail	B-Application
users	O
to	O
tell	O
them	O
about	O
the	O
outcome	O
of	O
the	O
lawsuit	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
part	O
of	O
its	O
settlement	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
agreed	O
to	O
create	O
an	O
$8.5	O
million	O
fund	O
to	O
award	O
money	O
to	O
groups	O
that	O
promote	O
privacy	O
education	O
on	O
the	O
web	O
,	O
of	O
which	O
the	O
prosecuting	O
lawyers	O
are	O
requesting	O
25%	O
( $	O
2,125,000	O
)	O
"	O
plus	O
reimbursement	O
of	O
costs	O
and	O
expenses	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
March	O
30	O
,	O
2011	O
,	O
the	O
Federal	O
Trade	O
Commission	O
announced	O
a	O
settlement	O
with	O
Google	B-Application
regarding	O
Buzz	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
announcement	O
,	O
the	O
FTC	O
agreed	O
with	O
the	O
EPIC	O
complaint	O
that	O
Google	B-Application
had	O
violated	O
its	O
privacy	O
policies	O
by	O
using	O
information	O
provided	O
for	O
Gmail	B-Application
for	O
another	O
purpose	O
-	O
social	O
networking	O
-	O
without	O
obtaining	O
consumers’	O
permission	O
in	O
advance	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
FTC	O
also	O
alleged	O
that	O
Google	B-Application
misrepresented	O
that	O
it	O
was	O
treating	O
personal	O
information	O
from	O
the	O
European	O
Union	O
in	O
accordance	O
with	O
the	O
US-EU	O
Safe	O
Harbor	O
privacy	O
framework	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
response	O
to	O
the	O
announcement	O
that	O
Google	B-Application
agreed	O
to	O
adopt	O
a	O
"	O
Comprehensive	O
Privacy	O
Plan	O
"	O
,	O
EPIC	O
launched	O
a	O
campaign	O
,	O
called	O
"	O
Fix	O
Google	B-Application
Privacy	O
"	O
,	O
to	O
encourage	O
Internet	O
users	O
to	O
offer	O
their	O
suggestions	O
to	O
improve	O
safeguards	O
for	O
Google	B-Application
's	I-Application
products	O
and	O
services	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Subsequently	O
,	O
in	O
United	O
States	O
v	O
.	O
Google	B-Application
Inc.	O
,	O
the	O
FTC	O
alleged	O
that	O
Google	B-Application
had	O
violated	O
this	O
settlement	O
agreement	O
by	O
misrepresenting	O
privacy	O
assurances	O
to	O
users	O
of	O
Apple	O
's	O
Safari	O
Internet	O
browser	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
bloggers	B-Application
commented	O
that	O
repressive	O
governments	O
in	O
countries	O
such	O
as	O
China	O
or	O
Iran	O
could	O
use	O
Buzz	O
to	O
expose	O
dissidents	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
