It’s important to remember that search, video and mobile phone operating systems are not the products Google makes.
You’re the product.
Or rather the troves of data the search giant maintains on you and sells to advertisers is. Between its dominant search engine, its successful display ad network Adsense and the Android operating system, Google has an unprecedented window into your life.
Today, Google would like you to believe that it has bolstered “privacy” controls on its services. But don’t believe the hype. Second only to maybe Facebook, Google is the worst privacy abuser the planet has ever known.
For example today, no actual changes have been made to the company’s data gatherings and scraping policies. But there have been press releases!
Instead, Google will take the path of number one privacy invader Facebook, and launch a ‘tool’ that it disingenuously claims will put you in control.
Or put another way, Google will have so many privacy tabs, toggles and settings that it will make is confusing and difficult for you to fully opt out of its tracking programs.
Or as the company spins it:
We’re rolling out two significant improvements to our privacy and security tools: a new hub for managing your Google settings called My Account, and a new site that answers important questions about privacy and security on Google.
What you should be aware of as a user, is that when you can control privacy settings for YouTube, Google Search, Android, Adsense and every other Google product under one roof, is that these massive properties are tracking you and Google’s reach is tremendous.
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