Oops! Google Says 'We're Very Sorry' for the Big Buzz Blunder

Google (GOOG) moved to stem the growing privacy furor over its new Buzz social networking product on Saturday, announcing that new users would no longer automatically follow and be followed by the email contacts in their Gmail accounts.

Google integrated Buzz, introduced on Feb. 9, into its Gmail service, and many users were shocked to discover that their private contacts were broadcast publicly. The episode is an embarrassment for Google, which many privacy advocates already view skeptically.