Subtle but powerful update to Google+ privacy settings

New option in Google+ settings

Since Google+ has gone beta, many tech pundits have clamored for Facebook to follow suit with some of the controls given to Google+ social network users that remain absent from Facebook. Tonight, Googler Kathleen Ko notified users via her Google+ profile that anyone can now decide who can notify them on Google+, a move that strengthens the offering and takes away one major annoyance – unsolicited streams of junk.

Ko writes, “Circles give you control over who you share with on Google+ and who you see content from. Many of you have asked for similar controls over who can send you notifications, so today we’re rolling out a new option in Google+ settings: “Who can notify you.” You can update your settings at https://plus.google.com/settings/plus.”

According to Google, this setting controls who you’ll get notifications from, if they:
• Share with you individually
• Select ‘Notify about this post’ (when sharing to a circle you’re in)
• +Mention your name
• Invite you to a hangout
• Invite you to play or send you messages from a game

Users will still receive a notification if someone adds them to a circle or comments on one of their posts, and the default setting is “Extended circles” which can be updated to be only people in your circles, anyone on the network, or only specific circles or people you custom select.

Not all users have the ability to change settings yet, and the company says they will be rolling it out shortly to all users. This is a particularly appealing option as the site has gone public and attracted a variety of users, with some spammers (and just plain obnoxious people) standing out or not understanding what they are sharing. This subtle update is powerful because it could save users from the annoyances forced to suffer on other social networks.