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Google has finally recognised the flaws for it’s users’ privacy in it’s controversial social network Buzz.

The company has started asking all of its users to confirm or change their privacy settings, starting this week.

The firm was forced to make a series of changes to Buzz just days after launch, following a backlash from users worried about privacy intrusions.

Last month, US Congress members urged regulators to investigate the service and the private information it exposed.

The latest tweaks will also show every aspect of a user’s profile, from public settings to the websites users are connected to, and who they are following or being followed by.

“Shortly after launching Google Buzz, we quickly realised we didn’t get everything right and moved as fast as possible to improve the Buzz experience,” said Buzz product manager Todd Jackson in a blog post.

“Offering everyone who uses our products transparency and control is very important to us.”

Dr Search questions this pious statement. If Google were so concerned about privacy, why has it taken them six weeks to get their act together?

Google launched Buzz at the beginning of February and integrated it with the company’s e-mail product Gmail, which is said to have over 170m account holders.

Amid concern over how much personal information was being made public, Google made changes to Buzz to make it more clear how information was being shared as well as simplifying the process for blocking or following other users.

Those early fixes did not go far enough for some critics.

Last month, nearly a dozen members of Congress signed a letter asking the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate privacy concerns associated with Google’s social networking tool.

“We are writing to express our concern over claims that Google Buzz… breaches online consumer privacy and trust,” said the signatories, led by Representative John Barrow, a Georgia Democrat.

The service is also the subject of a class action lawsuit, and a leading privacy group has called for action from the FTC.

The Electronic Privacy Information Centre has alleged that Buzz is “deceptive” and breaks US consumer protection law.