Starting today, Google’s newprivacy policy will go into effect. It’s a move that has drawncriticism for its perceived opening up of channels that used to be closed, at least when it comes to your privacy on the web.
First, what kind of changes can you expect? Well, they won’t be changes you’ll notice – unless you’re looking for them. You might start to notice more advertisements tailored specifically to products you’ve been looking for, talking about, or posting about on Google platforms like YouTube or Google+. Google has been very up front in announcing these pending changes, most notably with the tagline “This stuff matters.” But this “stuff” might catch some people off guard – especially if they’re heavy Google users who suddenly find their profiling information pulled into one place. In other words, your Google account will soon control your email, you pictures, your videos on YouTube, you Google+ account, etc. The list goes on and on.
For a lot of folks, including some major privacy watchdog groups, this has spawned serious concern over whether Google could be overreaching. But no matter how you feel about it, change is happening – today. So what can you do to ease the transition and feel like you have maximum control over what information is gathered up about you?
For starters, log out. If you’re logged in to your Google account, more information will be gathered about the products you like, the services you’re looking for, and the issues that interest you. So log out and then pat yourself on the back for outsmarting “Big Brother.”
You can also clear your search history by signing in, going to Google.com/history, and choosing to “Remove all web history.” Zap! Done!
For other great tips on preparing your Google Account for the impending doomsday (Kidding! I’m kidding!), check out CNN.com’s guide on “How to Prepare for Google’s Privacy Changes.”
