Google has settled a lawsuit against it over its Buzz social networking service. When it launched in February, Google automatically used Gmail customers' Google Contacts to build a set of followers. Many complained that this was done without their permission and gave away their email addresses to strangers. Google changed the privacy settings quickly, but the failed launch was enough for some to sue. Rather than pay any claimants, Google is setting aside $8.5 million to be used for attorney's fees and donations to organizations that help aid in keeping user data private on the internet. Google will also make it clearer to users of the Buzz service how their privacy is handled. Buzz is built into the browser-based version of Gmail, and also has dedicated mobile tools, such as a widget for the Android platform.
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