Per previous post that Google Buzz would soon be blocked in China…

On a serious note, here’s what legal blogger Don Cruse says about the state of Buzz privacy, making a different China connection:

So, a few days ago your email address book and list of recipients was private information. It would have been downright scandalous if someone had broken into Google and stolen it — even if just for a few dozen targeted accounts of Chinese dissidents. But today, Google has used that same information to seed a new social network that by default makes these links publicly searchable? Wow.

If you’re paranoid and pseudonymous online (hey, don’t point fingers) you should go immediately to his post to learn how hard Buzz makes it to keep your information private. Thumbs down for Google on this one.

On a completely cynical note: how long before someone argues that Buzz is Google’s compromise for staying in country: “We’ll just have everyone out their own circle of friends!”

——–

FYI: NYT article on privacy issues