Google+ invitation lands Massachusetts man in jail
Posted by: Jon Ben-Mayor on 01/11/2014 01:41 AM
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Thomas Gagnon, 32, of Beverly, MA., was arrested about 90 minutes after his ex-girlfriend received an invitation to join Google+, an invite that Gagnon claims he was not even aware he sent. I can say that I have had this happen to me; I have received confirmation for the very same thing. I never use Google+ and I most certainly have not added anyone to my non-existent "circle" that I can remember....
In Gagnon's case it is a bit more tricky - there is a restraining order in place barring him from contact with the ex-girlfriend. After the police were notified they decided that Gagnon had indeed breached the terms of the order and arrested him.
According to PCMag, Gagnon's lawyer claimed he had no idea how the invitation had been sent. It's possible that Gagnon may have added his ex-girlfriend to his "circles" on Google+ without realizing this would automatically generate an invitation: Google+ users have previously complained about this behavior.
"I am getting notifications that people have accepted my invitation to Google+ and I never ever sent anything out to them," wrote one user in a post dated April 2011. "I know it took me a second to realize that when I add people to a circle, they automatically get invited to be my friend."
Gagnon's attorney Neil Hourihan suggested that unlike Facebook, which requires users to select potential friends, he believes Google Plus generates invitations for “anyone you've ever contacted.”
According to the Salem News, the judge presiding over the case admitted he had no idea how services such as Google+ worked, and set Gagnon's bail at $500.
In Gagnon's case it is a bit more tricky - there is a restraining order in place barring him from contact with the ex-girlfriend. After the police were notified they decided that Gagnon had indeed breached the terms of the order and arrested him.According to PCMag, Gagnon's lawyer claimed he had no idea how the invitation had been sent. It's possible that Gagnon may have added his ex-girlfriend to his "circles" on Google+ without realizing this would automatically generate an invitation: Google+ users have previously complained about this behavior.
"I am getting notifications that people have accepted my invitation to Google+ and I never ever sent anything out to them," wrote one user in a post dated April 2011. "I know it took me a second to realize that when I add people to a circle, they automatically get invited to be my friend."
Gagnon's attorney Neil Hourihan suggested that unlike Facebook, which requires users to select potential friends, he believes Google Plus generates invitations for “anyone you've ever contacted.”
According to the Salem News, the judge presiding over the case admitted he had no idea how services such as Google+ worked, and set Gagnon's bail at $500.
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