Google’s New Policies And What They Mean For You

A few days ago, online juggernaut Google announced that as of March 1st they will be implementing some new policies. These changes will primarily be in regard to privacy and overall functionality of the services that Google offers. The goal seems to be to create an even easier to use platform that blends seamlessly between multiple applications. Any services that use your Google account will be interconnected in order to provide the easiest and most fluid browsing experience to date. Google will track some of your information and browsing tendencies in order to offer an intuitive experience that is catered specifically to you. This includes ads that are more relevant to your interests, and better search results. For example, having your tendencies tracked could make a search for a broad topic, such as retail eCommerce, yield results that are directly related to websites you have shown interest in.

The truth is, though, that this is more or less how it’s always been; Google won’t be collecting any information that they weren’t collecting before. The new privacy policy is simply an attempt to help users understand exactly what is being monitored and how the information is being used. On their blog, Betsy Masiello notes that there won’t be any information tracking that wasn’t already being done. She expands on this later on, saying “We’re making things simpler and we’re trying to be upfront about it. Period.”

Obviously, a function like this will raise some concerns, especially in regard to privacy. With quite a few internet users still reeling from the SOPA/PIPA situation, it’s no surprise that these issues were brought up pretty quickly. With all that has happened recently, it’s easy for people to forget that Google has consistently been the “good guy” when it comes to our internet rights. This new privacy policy is no exception, and in reality not a lot has changed; the policy itself has just been rewritten in a way that’s easier to understand. Simply refraining from signing into your Google account will prevent any browsing from being tracked, and using incognito mode in your Chrome browser will accomplish this as well. You can even edit your account preferences and decide what information you’re comfortable sharing.

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