Google strikes Buzz settlement

Google and the US Federal Trade Commission have agreed a deal to settle charges alleging that the search engine giant had been deceptive in leading users of its Gmail services to believe that they could decline to take part in Buzz, its foray into social networking.

The company has agreed to set up a comprehensive privacy policy. Google has also agreed to have independent privacy audits at two-year intervals for the next two decades. "This is a tough settlement that ensures that Google will honor its commitments to consumers and build strong privacy protections into all its operations," FTC chairman Jon Leibowitz said.