GMail updates: A sneaky, creepy new year from Google?

December 30, 2007 | Matt Marshall | Comments | |

Updated

google-private.jpgGoogle is about to include some controversial new features in your GMail account: updates on activities by your GMmail contacts.

The coming feature is being reported by Google Operating System, which is a reliable blog that follows Google.

According to that blog, the updates will be shown in the chat box on the left of your GMail account, and will reveal online actions taken by your contacts even if you haven’t explicitly chosen them as your “friends.” We haven’t seen the feature yet.

Update from Google: “We’re always looking at ways to improve the Gmail experience, but we don’t have anything specific to announce at this time.”

The news emerges after concerns Google is already violating our privacy by sharing things about what we do without explicitly asking our permission. See our coverage about the Google Reader controversy.

It’s not clear what kind of updates you will receive in GMail, but they’re probably the latest actions of your contacts from different Google services, such as photos they may have added in Google’s photo service, Picasa, or changes they’ve made to their personal profiles — though this is speculation.

GMail’s code suggests that you’ll be able to delete the updates you don’t like, reply by email or post a comment. However, yet again, the report suggests this will be an opt-out, rather than an opt-in. We’ll reserve judgment until we see the features. But if true, Google is moving too quickly to try to be like Facebook. Facebook’s continuous feed gives you updates about friends you’ve accepted and that’s ok because Facebook has always been a social network. What’s jarring about such a move by Google is that for many of us GMail has been a professional utility feature. Our address book is filled with contacts that may not be our friends. If this feature comes as reported, this could be a creepy new year from Google. Let’s hope it isn’t, and that Google makes this an opt-in feature from the outset.

We’ve requested comment from Google, and will update accordingly.

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Matt Marshall is editor and CEO of VentureBeat. Follow him on Twitter at @mmarshall, and follow VentureBeat on Twitter at @venturebeat.

  • Rob Scott
    Sounds like another anti-Google tempest in a teapot to me.

    Exactly what is so bad about and opt-out default on new features rather than opt-in? Given the average person's resistance to change and general ignorance of new features until they bite them on the behind, an opt-out ensures better test coverage in a beta product. Yes, keep in mind that gmail is STILL in beta.

    My suggestion is that those who fear some damage to their privacy go in and shut off optional features on a regular basis...or perhaps they should complain to the mail service provider that since they are paying top dollar for privacy, they demand that the service agreement they assented to be enforced to the letter.
  • Dam you google :-)
  • No Thanks
    Please stick to reporting the venture world news, which you do well, and opinions on same when you have them. Reporting gossip like this serves neither us nor you very well.
  • As if Gmail itself wasn't enough of a distraction.
  • GOOG is EVIL
    Yet another example of Google caring more about beating a competitor than delivering something useful to real people.

    One more thing they better do - global opt-out of having ANY of my data on their servers.
  • Speculations! Well, let's just hope for the best and not for the worst!

    Nhick
    http://www.itrush.com
  • Very believable. Google needs something to go after Facebook. Gmail is a good place to start. Ideally, Yahoo should try similar things using Yahoogroups. It is already has a solid installed base of users and the social networking features of today (updates of others, ability to ad apps etc.) will be a great addition to yahoogroups.
  • Jarred
    I still do not understand how you and others see the Google Reader debate as one about privacy. Google made clear from the inception of Shared Items that doing so puts it on a *public* page and a *public* feed. What do you expect when you click "share", anyway? Yes it was at a convoluted URL, and technically you had to physically give that link to friends... but it was never *private* as in *protected* or *hidden*. It may be annoying and a breach of confidence... but it is not a breach of privacy at all.

    The debate over this -- and the forthcoming Gmail features -- is about opt-in v. opt-out and giving users greater flexibility and control over who they share updates and other content with. It's about user choice, not user privacy.
  • TanNg
    Shall they send my search history to all my contacts?