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One more reason to implement the append-only log using blockchain technology. Seems like a good fit. I don't think privacy laws can be applied to a blockchain, but probably that is still unclear. For example, if I post my email address in a Bitcoin transaction, can I then force every user to delete their blockchain?

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You would not be able to stop individual users from doing so, but you could potentially make it legally untenable for commercial/corporate operators.

But personally, regardless of legality, if Google implements this with the degree of disclosure of e-mail details, I'll find another operator that isn't implementing this proposal.

The whole point is ease of key exchange. Of course if you don't want any hint of your email details out in the world you shouldn't use it.

Ease of key exchange does not justify publishing what is effectively a public ledger of who I start communicating with when.

I think you're misunderstanding the gossip protocol, but, regardless, that was not the claim I was responding to, it was that the disclosure of email addresses (or a hash of them) with no way to remove them from the Key Directory is somehow beyond the pale for a public (and automated) key exchange system.

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