Google+ v Facebook. Peter Fleischer: Privacy...? _predicting_the_present. Charges Deceptive Privacy Practices in Google’s Rollout of Its Buzz Social Network. Google Inc. has agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it used deceptive tactics and violated its own privacy promises to consumers when it launched its social network, Google Buzz, in 2010. The agency alleges the practices violate the FTC Act. The proposed settlement bars the company from future privacy misrepresentations, requires it to implement a comprehensive privacy program, and calls for regular, independent privacy audits for the next 20 years. This is the first time an FTC settlement order has required a company to implement a comprehensive privacy program to protect the privacy of consumers’ information.
In addition, this is the first time the FTC has alleged violations of the substantive privacy requirements of the U.S. “When companies make privacy pledges, they need to honor them,” said Jon Leibowitz, Chairman of the FTC. According to the FTC complaint, Google launched its Buzz social network through its Gmail web-based email product.