One (Tech Analyst) Parent on Google's Buzz and Keeping Her Kids Safe Online
This weekend, renowned tech analyst Charlene Li was horrified to discover that her 9-year-old daughter had posted a conversation to Google Buzz, not realizing it was public -- or that someone with the handle “iorgyinbathrooms” was following her. Li immediately kicked her daughter off her Google account, then wrote a lengthy post about how dangerous Buzz can be for children in part because its privacy controls are so tricky to navigate. (Jessica Guynn of the L.A. Times talked with some privacy experts about the situation here.) Google was quick to get back to Li, explaining that Gmail’s terms of service don’t allow anyone under age 13 to have an account. It also told her that a “long list of improvements is on the way" and stressed that it's exploring new ways to ensure child safety (and open to suggestions). Li, who’d apparently
