Is Google The New “Big Brother?”
Soon Google will know far more about who you are and what you do online.
The internet powerhouse released a statement last week detailing their plans to track users across their vast network of websites, including YouTube, Gmail and of course their search giant Google.com. Google has been collecting some of this information already, but now for the first time it is combining all of this data across its vast network of sites to aggregate a better picture of users.
The internet giants users will not be able to opt out of this new system, which are scheduled to take effect on March 1st. Experts say this new policy will bring about greater scrutiny from federal regulators regarding the companies privacy and competitive practices.
Google claims the shift will help them to better deliver ad’s suited to individual users tastes.For instance if someone watches an NBA video online and lives in Portland, Oregon they could then advertise Portland Trailblazers tickets in that users Gmail account.
Google does claim that this new change can and will benefit users. For instance if someone is searching the word Ducks, Google would have a better idea if they were searching for the animal or the University of Oregon’s athletic team. Or if you are searching for travel to a specific destination it might suggest that you email contacts in that region.
Consumer advocacy groups say that users might get upset about this new policy, not realizing that their information would be shared across so many websites.
“Google’s new privacy announcement is frustrating and a little frightening,” said Common Sense Media chief executive James Steyer. “Even if the company believes that tracking users across all platforms improves their services, consumers should still have the option to opt out, especially the kids and teens who are avid users of YouTube, Gmail and Google Search.”
Google can collect information about users when they activate an Android mobile phone, sign into their accounts online or enter certain search terms. The company can also store cookies on people’s computers to see which sites they visit online, or it can use its incredibly popular maps program to estimate their location.
Some analysts said Google’s move is aimed squarely at Facebook and Apple, which have been successful in building a string of products that capture people’s attention. Google,however, has adopted a less unified approach, but an executive said in interviews that the company wants to create a much more-seamless environment across its offerings.
“If you’re signed in, we may combine information you’ve provided from one service with information from other services,” Alma Whitten, Google’s director of privacy for product and engineering, wrote in a blog post.
“In short, we’ll treat you as a single user across all our products, which will mean a simpler, more-intuitive Google experience,” she said.
Google said it will notify its hundreds of millions of users of the change through an email and a message on its websites. The change will apply to all its services except for Google Wallet, the Chrome browser and Google Books. The company said the change will simplify the company’s privacy policy, a move that regulators encouraged.
This author received the following email from Google recently.
Dear Google user,
We’re getting rid of over 60 different privacy policies across Google and replacing them with one that’s a lot shorter and easier to read. Our new policy covers multiple products and features, reflecting our desire to create one beautifully simple and intuitive experience across Google.
We believe this stuff matters, so please take a few minutes to read our updated Privacy Policy and Terms of Service at http://www.google.com/policies. These changes will take effect on March 1, 2012.
Thank you for reading our article on Google’s Privacy Policy. For more information about how Google’s Privacy Policy can improve advertising efforts for businesses like your please contact us today Total Market Exposure
Tags: Big Brother, Google, Google Changes, Google Privacy Policy