Monday, November 7, 2016

Google changes privacy policy to track you more - how to opt out

This was the change:
When Google bought the advertising network DoubleClick in 2007, Google founder Sergey Brin said that privacy would be the company’s “number one priority when we contemplate new kinds of advertising products.”
And, for nearly a decade, Google did in fact keep DoubleClick’s massive database of web-browsing records separate by default from the names and other personally identifiable information Google has collected from Gmail and its other login accounts.
But this summer, Google quietly erased that last privacy line in the sand – literally crossing out the lines in its privacy policy that promised to keep the two pots of data separate by default. In its place, Google substituted new language that says browsing habits “may be” combined with what the company learns from the use Gmail and other tools.
There's a lot of background at the article, but this is how you opt out:
To opt-out of Google’s identified tracking, visit the Activity controls on Google’s My Account page, and uncheck the box next to “Include Chrome browsing history and activity from websites and apps that use Google services." You can also delete past activity from your account.

4 comments:

Old NFO said...

Seems like you posted this before, because I already had that linkage unchecked.

R.K. Brumbelow said...

One also has to believe Google really deletes your info. They may, but if you count on it, you are a fool

David aka True Blue Sam said...

A coworker recently talked about a product that I have never used, searched for or mentioned. My cell phone was in my pocket and it heard him. Ads for that product have been appearing on my laptop ever since.

Borepatch said...

Old NFO, I've long lost track of what I've posted and what I haven't - almost 11,000 posts now. :-p