MANILA, Philippines – Google sent out an email to Gmail users, detailing a change that seeks to further integrate the Google+ social network into its popular services. Moving forward, Google+ has been further integrated into Gmail, allowing Google+ users to send emails to the Gmail account of a fellow Google+ user.

The new feature is switched on by default for users, and carries its own privacy protocols. Gmail users who use a Google+ connection to email another user will not be able to see the recipient’s email address until the recipient sends the sender an email back. Likewise, a recipient can’t see the sender’s email address until a reply to the sender has been completed.

Gmail users can disable this new feature without too much trouble, should they choose. To find the setting to disable the Google+ intergration feature, Click on the gear on the upper right of the Gmail interface and go to Settings.

Once there, make sure you’re on the General tab in the settings, and look for the “Email via Google+” setting, which is usually the 9th option on the page, right after Conversation View.

On that setting is a drop-down menu to determine if who can email a user using Google+ connectivity.

Step-by-step instructions for this are also available on the following Help article.

Because the new feature is an automatic opt-in for users, this may end up being a new point of criticism for Google, following the integration of Google+ accounts onto one’s YouTube account.

The system integration, YouTube admitted last November, led to an increase in spam and flaming, as well as an uptick in ASCII-based art pornography. – Rappler.com