Google Buzz hit with lawsuit

Internet giant Google has been hit with a law suit in the American state of Rhode Island for allegedly violating privacy laws through its new Buzz social networking service.

Gmail user Andranik Souvalian said in the lawsuit that “Google intentionally exceeded its authorisation to access and control confidential and private information” in violation of US legislation.

“Google, through its Buzz social networking tool, has unlawfully disclosed its customers’ private communications and records, including but not limited to, the automatic and unauthorised importing of its customers’ private email contacts into the Buzz social network,” the complain states.

“Buzz has raised privacy concerns including, but not limited to, automatic importing of private contacts and showing them to friends and importing without authorisation the customers’ private photos onto the Buzz social network.”

The lawsuit comes after Google has been attacked by privacy groups and internet users for not enabling a number of privacy controls before launching the service.