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Google has agreed to pay a hefty sum to make a class action lawsuit concerning Google Buzz disappear $8.5 million, to be exact.The lawsuit dates back to February, when lawyers filed a class action complaint against Google on behalf of Eva Hibnick, a 24-year-old Florida resident and Harvard Law School student. The complaint alleged that Buzz violated several communication privacy laws related to protecting user privacy.Google Buzz caught a lot of flak for its auto-follow and opt-in features, so much so that Google quickly made privacy fixes after launch. They werent enough to quell the criticism though, so Google launched a privacy reset for Buzz, giving users a new opportunity to adjust their privacy settings.According to the settlement, these changes addressed the key privacy issues surrounding Buzz. Google has made changes to the Google Buzz user interface that clarify Google Buzzs operation and users options regarding Google Buzz, it stated.Thats not all, though. While the settlement acknowledges that Google Buzzs privacy issues have been resolved, it says the company must do more to educate users about Google Buzzs potential impact on privacy. The $8.5 million from the settelement will go towards lawyer fees (30%) and the seven named plaintiffs (up to $2,500 each), with the remainder going towards organizations and non-profits focused on Internet privacy.Now that the privacy issues have been settled, Google can focus on a more important problem: actually producing a winner in the social media space.[via AFP]More About: Googl, google buzz, law, lawsuit, privacyFor more Tech coverage:Follow Mashable Tech on TwitterBecome a Fan on FacebookSubscribe to the Tech channelDownload our free apps for iPhone and iPad

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Google Settles Buzz Privacy Lawsuit for $8.5 Million

Google has settled a class-action lawsuit over Buzz, and has agreed to a $8.5 million payout which will help fund groups that focus on privacy issues.

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Google coughs up $8.5 million to settle Buzz privacy suit

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Google has agreed to pay a hefty sum to make a class action lawsuit concerning Google Buzz disappear $8.5 million, to be exact.The lawsuit dates back to February, when lawyers filed a class action complaint against Google on behalf of Eva Hibnick, a 24-year-old Florida resident and Harvard Law School student. The complaint alleged that Buzz violated several communication privacy laws related to protecting user privacy.Google Buzz caught a lot of flak for its auto-follow and opt-in features, so much so that Google quickly made privacy fixes after launch. They werent enough to quell the criticism though, so Google launched a privacy reset for Buzz, giving users a new opportunity to adjust their privacy settings.According to the settlement, these changes addressed the key privacy issues surrounding Buzz. Google has made changes to the Google Buzz user interface that clarify Google Buzzs operation and users options regarding Google Buzz, it stated.Thats not all, though. While the settlement acknowledges that Google Buzzs privacy issues have been resolved, it says the company must do more to educate users about Google Buzzs potential impact on privacy. The $8.5 million from the settelement will go towards lawyer fees (30%) and the seven named plaintiffs (up to $2,500 each), with the remainder going towards organizations and non-profits focused on Internet privacy.Now that the privacy issues have been settled, Google can focus on a more important problem: actually producing a winner in the social media space.[via AFP]More About: Googl, google buzz, law, lawsuit, privacyFor more Tech coverage:Follow Mashable Tech on TwitterBecome a Fan on FacebookSubscribe to the Tech channelDownload our free apps for iPhone and iPad

See original here:
Google Settles Buzz Privacy Lawsuit for $8.5 Million

10 iPhone apps to help students manage their college life

Follow this link:
10 Back-to-School iPhone Apps | Wise Bread