Ok, this is rather late but just got to know of it and couldn’t wait to let you in to it.
I’m sure you’re aware that Google’s new privacy policy will be coming into effect in a matter of hours, precisely, March 1 2012, right?
Do you know the cardinal thrust of that policy is so that it will allow Google explicit rights to combine your personal information across multiple products and services?
Of course, Google is pulling about 60 different privacy policies into one so that the company can provide enhanced services and ads. But to do this it needs your permission to combine personal information of users that they have across multiple products and services. Before now, Google only had implicit rights to do this but as from the March 1 2012, Google will be able to do this automatically.
Now, you may be wondering, what is the fuss about?
Nothing really!
However, you should know that Google is tracking your Web activities if you have a Google account. Believe it or not Google know much about your online activities than you know because it has been keeping track of your searches and the sites you visited. This data has been separated from other Google products, but on March 1 it will be shared across all of the Google products you use.
if you think there are some personal information about you you wouldn’t want Google to “roll” into the “new web”, you can actually stop Google. But you just have to do it now before the clock strike midnight today!
Click this link for details on how to do it with a few clicks.
This is why I don’t use the Gmail service: the potential info that Google could possibly gather concerns me.
Hi Chadrack. Thanks for sharing this. I think….. I might like to turn off my Google account that’s logged into my Chrome browser. LOL!
@Andrew Walker,
It’s worth doing just in case! 🙂
Sounds scary Chadrack!
I had been hearing about it a great deal, and now the time’s come I guess. But what does it really mean for us, or how would we really be effected? And what measures or what should we do when this happens? We can’t possibly remain logged out of Gmail, nor G+ or Gtalk, as those are the ones I use mainly.
Do let us know how and what’s to be done. ( did read the link at the end about removing the web history, and is that it?)
Thanks for sharing 🙂
@Harleena Singh,
Frankly, it’s not really a big problem except if you have some very personal details you don’t want Google to keep in its files. What Google is doing is simply taking all the “files” it has kept about you in their different services which you’re using and then place them into one database. Of course, it’s to help them better in their new products like Search plus your world, etc.
If you have been online for a long time there are definitely some of your activities you may have forgotten but Google still has them in its records. Emptying those records before Google implement the new changes will only prevent Google from transferring those old records about you to the present.
Do you need to stay logged out of Gmail, G+ and the other google products? NOOOO! If you’ve emptied your web history using the steps in the referenced article, you can continue to use the services but google will stop keeping tags on you because your web history in google’s file will be paused. After March 1 when Google start the new policy, if you want to benefit with gains the of personal search, the way Google wants to go about it (of course there are some gains in making the search results personal), you can resume the web history on the same page. From that period Google will start collecting details about your web activities afresh.
Why you may need to pause it now is simply to stop Google from carrying over a few things you want to keep personal for now. It’s all about privacy!
@Chadrack, Thanks for the explanation. So, does that mean that initially if we clear the history, after a week or so we could resume it? So that the earlier data is all cleared and whatever we do later is added on.
But how would that help us as we never track where or what we may do. Or should we not press the ‘Resume’ button at all?
@Harleena Singh,
You can press the resume button to allow Google to resume collecting information about you. But the truth is that you do not need those information being collected. It’s for Google to run its services better. It’s the information that helps them to represent to you what you prefer. It’s like facebook. When you are on the site, facebook can show you ads having checked your profile and your activities on the site. It simply means they are using what they know about you to target ads at you!
For Google, they want to pool all your activities, based on their products and services you’re using, and use these to target both ads and search results at you. This is what they are actually making search results personal.
Now, it depends on whether you want these records of you to be in their files, since it could show up later in a search without you knowing it. if you want this, you can just forget the whole thing. However, if you still want to enjoy what Google is seeing as personal search results, then you can click the resume button later after the new policy starts else just leave it at “paused!”
Awesome share man you have written it very well.
@Kettler Rowing Machine,
Thanks. The pleasure is mine! 🙂
Google is doing too much experiments these days. Nice Post
@Saikrishna,
You call this an experiment? No, no, no! Google is only taking advantage of their strenght and market intelligence. Remember, Google has over the years created some very powerful tools which they allowed us to us freely. with these tools they are able to understand more about the market and also target their ads like ppc and adsense.
But then with the popularity of social media, many marketers discovered the ROI on ppc has diminished while things like facebook ads were becoming more profitable because of the easy targeting.
What do you want Google to do, sit down and fold its hands when they know they have information in their databases that they can use to present more targeted ads? No way!
What we are going to see in the days ahead is more targeted ads in google search results. This is the whole essence of “Search plus your world” which was launched sometime ago.
So google is not simply experimenting but pulling its resources together to have more advantage in the new scheme of things. The internet has become more social but you cannot neglect search (google’s area of specialization) so google is bringing the gap.
They tried doing it with the social media sites but facebook will not allow google into their databases. Now Google is trying to prove to them that they can go it alone.
It doesn’t matter what others are saying, I can tell you that facebook has some very great challenges ahead. But I think they are not ready to give up because they are also coming with their own changes just like the one they just launched about facebook fan pages.
That’s really a big concern, By restoring your web activities they’re actually breaching your privacy.. no matter what their real intention is. I might like to turned off sharing option.
@Ravi,
They are not actually “restoring” your web activities. These data is already being held in their records only thing is that in coming up with their new privacy policy they now need your permission to “roll over” these records into their new services. Of course they have new uses for these records that is why they are now requiring your permission. Once this new policy comes into effect, you’re stop using their services 🙂 or you agree with the new policy. The only way to ensure that your past records are not roll over is to empty the records using the method referenced in this post. But if you have not done that it is too late because the new policy is already effective as I write this!
@Chadrack,
So it means after 1st March, you won’t be able to stop Google to store your online activities. That’s ridiculous.. I mean you should be able to do this at point of time, after all your online privacy is big concern.
Hi Chadrack, you give us a great remind. Your explanation is very detail and clear… Thanks a lot!
@Robbie,
It’s my pleasure!
Google introduced their new product daily and its really nice and awesome thanks for sharing and giving us such a nice information
Awesome post! It contains very useful information.Thanks for sharing knowledge.
What a information of un-ambiguity and preserveness of valuable familiarity about unexpected feelings.
Though Google tools are very helpful, I’m concerned with the fact that I my privacy could be saved. I don’t want all my personal information be controlled and analyzed.
Dude you have written it very well and the idea is also amazing i must say.thankyou too buddy.see ya soon.
This post has a lot of importance to the people…I hope you can continue to inspire and post more of this…Thanks Online Training!
One thing that doesn’t seem to change with Google: it’s the fact that they keep on changing their policies, systems and etc. And now this. Everyone should be on the look otherwise be left behind.
thanks!
@Spatch Merlin,
It’s a changing world indeed! If you’re marketing online you definitely need to watch out for the changes happening online and adjust your business to meet with the trends. Google know more than you know. They are only positioning their business to meet up with the times.
Google is trying to get to know every thing about and of the user, that is why I have stopped using Gmail and some othet google services.
@Maheinfo,
Well, you don’t have to blame them, they are in business you know! Just as you’re in business online, you definitely want to know your target audience so as to know what to give them. Of course what you’re giving may be free for now but you definitely have the mind of making some money from it. So, you see you can not blame Google for wanting to know their target audience.
Google make money through it search engines and advertisements and it can only make maximum use of that if it can target the right ads to the right people. Without knowing the users they will not be able to target their ads.
Well, if you stop using gmail because of that you should know that any other service you are using right now also has some ways of knowing details about you! Or don’t you think so?
Is that so? Well, we have to accept it for Google’s sake, they are keep on changing policies or systems that’ what make me wondering all over again.Anyway, thanks for the update about Google’s new policy.
@Danyelle Franciosa,
If you’re using any Google service/product like Gmail, then you’ve agreed to the new policy because it came into effect on March 1. I know many of us will never waste time to read the fine lines but the true is that if you doing business online then taking care of these things matter.
Thanks for the tips. Really interesting.
Every blogger should come across this post. Really interesting Chadrack. Thank you.
Dude you have written it very well and the idea is also amazing i must say.thankyou too buddy and take care as well.see ya soon.
I don’t understand what all this fuss is about. Google just revealed thing that it has been doing before and made it clear for users.
Well you did a considerably better job explaining things than Google themselves. I tried to read what Google had to say about their policy shift and felt like I was drowning in marketing speech; which didn’t warm me to whatever they were trying to do.
I don’t really mind of they want to track my online activity, it’s not going to hurt me in any way, I just wish they’d be more open about doing so.
@Stefan,
I understand your position. Most of these policies can really be technical that if you are not careful you’d be agreeing to what you really do not know.
Frankly, their tracking your activities may not really “hurt” you as they are only using it to better their services. However, because of the open nature of the internet, if you’re someone who keep most of your personal details in your online accounts, like gmail, these could be easily accessed by others who may use them for something else.
The issue is really about privacy. I hope you understand this.
I hear a lot of people are mad because google is making money off of our search data, but don’t we kinda owe it to them since they are providing us with free software. Also, its not like they are giving out private personalized data.
@cane furniture,
We definitely cannot be agry with Google for that. We must understand that Google is in business just we all are in business. When they offer these tools and resources they putting out there for us because they have a purpose for them.
The only problem is the issue of privacy. Who knows who will be able to see those personal details in the future? But as long as we want to use the tools we must also be ready to agree to their policies.