Google Buzz Dangerous for Kids: Parents

Normally vigilant parents are in a tizzy over Google’s surreptitious addition of its Buzz social networking client to Gmail, which they say enables kids with little understanding of what is prudent to share online to enter a dangerous world. “This is foisted on children and they love it,” says a mother who wouldn’t dream of letting her kids on Facebook. “And it's really dangerous.”

“Google Buzz is a new danger zone for children,” a privacy expert tells the Los Angeles Times. She has lobbied the FTC to think of the risk to children when evaluating other privacy issues surrounding Buzz. Google says it has no specific plans for Buzz with regard to children, but “keeping kids safe online is very important to us.” Tell that to mother who found her 9-year-old quickly enmeshed by Buzz and followed by people like “iorgyinbathrooms.” (More Google Buzz stories.)