Global Privacy Officials Demand Change: 10 Countries Address Google

Privacy officials from 10 countries on Tuesday penned a letter to Google criticizing its approach to privacy, pointing to its Buzz and Street View products as examples. Privacy officials from 10 countries on Tuesday penned a letter to Google criticizing its approach to privacy, pointing to its Buzz and Street View products as examples.

"We are increasingly concerned that, too often, the privacy rights of the world's citizens are being forgotten as Google rolls out new technological applications," Jennifer Stoddart, the privacy commissioner of Canada, wrote in the letter.

It was also signed by the privacy commissioners of France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

Google introduced Buzz in early February. The social networking product added a "news feed" feature to Gmail, and also added some social components to Google mobile on Android and the iPhone.

Amid concern over how much personal information was being made public, Google tweaked Buzz several days after its debut, making it more clear how information was shared, and simplifying the process for blocking or following other users.

In March, several members of Congress also penned a letter to the Federal Trade Commission, asking the agency to investigate Buzz-related privacy concerns.

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