Ron Swanson would not be happy.
The time has come for Google to update its privacy policy, combining 70 separate documents into one, “easy” to read policy meant to appease web regulators and users alike.
Before people get up in arms about “Big Brother” watching all of us, or you chuck another computer in the dumpster; let’s take a second to examine Google’s new policies and what it means for the users of the internet.
To start, the new policy will give Google explicit rights to combine the personal information from different Google platforms (like Google Search, Google Plus, Youtube, Gmail, Google Calendar) from Google users actively signed in to their account. Searchers will be given results based on past browsing, personal preferences, and searching trends on other Google platforms. According to a post on Google’s blog, the goal of these changes is to implement a complete, “beautiful” search experience across the Google channels.
Those who have gotten comfortable with Google Plus and the relatively new “Search Plus Your World” features shouldn’t be surprised at this next step. Google is doing everything they can to make your search as personal and precise to the individual as possible. Google search will correct misspellings, make suggestions, and alter your search results based on your previous searches and web activity. As a Google user, you may see your calendar reminders while you watch videos on Youtube. You will see photos from your Google Plus in your Google search.
For those that embrace these changes, you will have a complete, personal search experience using Google’s many platforms. In the video on Google’s blog about these changes, it says it will even be able to tell you whether you are late for a meeting (calendar) based on your current location and traffic conditions (places). The Future!
For those that do not embrace these changes as warmly, it’s cool. There are ways around it.
You can log out. This uber-personal search experience will only effect Google users actively logged in to their account.
If you love Google but not the new policy, there are ways to change your preferences to keep your Google out of your business. Log in to your Google account, then find your “Account Settings”. From account settings, go to the “Services” section, followed by the “Go To Web History” link. If the web history feature is enabled, you will see a list of familiar sites that you have been to recently. You can clear this list, and then click to pause the web history, so it will not maintain a list of any sites you visit going forward, even when you are logged in. The whole process takes about 1 minute. Kudos to Google for making this part so easy.
Whether you think of Google as Big Brother or the best thing since JJ Diner’s The Four Horse-Meals of the Egg-Porkalypse, the new policy goes into effect on Thursday, March 1st.
