Google's New Privacy Policy

Page 1 & Choice 1: Google Offers You Full Disclosure. Do you

1. Simply Click "Ok, got it" either to avoid the annoying privacy disclosure from showing up each time you log in to a father-Google service or because you simply don't care
2. Read the pretty pithy headline "One Policy, one Google experience" (Kind of like, "one ring to bind them all?) and then, Click "Ok, got it" 
3. Read the pretty pity headline,  the first paragraph and then after thanking Google for "Getting rid of over 60 different privacy policies across Google and replacing them with one that’s a lot shorter and easier to read"  and marveling at Google's "desire to create one beautifully simple and intuitive experience across Google" then, Click "Ok, got it" 
4. Read the pretty pity headline,  read the first paragraph which ends in an almost-call to-action " This stuff matters, so please read our updated Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service when you have a few minutes"  and then decide if it was really important Google wouldn't call it "stuff" (which is the commonly accepted name of things you discard when you move) ,   and Google certainly  wouldn't (slyly)  suggest you read it "when you have a few minutes." You think for a moment and then you decide: If it were really important Father Google would have said something simple and straightforward like "your privacy matters and is important in ways you might not understand so please take a moment to see how Google is tracking you (and helping others track you) and if you don't like what we're doing we'll show you can adjust your settings so we track and invade your privacy alot less (but we won't stop completely, because it's the cost of our excellent services!) " Since Google didn't say that, you  Click "Ok, got it"  (even though you know you don't and you hope it doesn't matter latter). 
5. Read the pretty pity headline,  read the first paragraph with it's almost-call to-action, and then decide to read the additional sub-headlines, where you learn what you get for just going along with Google.  The could-turn-out-to-be Faustian bargin says by allowing Google to invade your privacy you get: 

   Easy to work across Google

   Our new policy reflects our desire to create a simple product experience that does what you need, when you want it to. Whether you’re reading an email that reminds you to schedule a family get-together or finding a favorite video that you want to share, we want to ensure you can move across Gmail, Calendar, Search, YouTube, or whatever your life calls for with ease.

   Tailored for you

   
   

   If you’re signed into Google, we can do things like suggest search queries — or tailor your search results — based on the interests you’ve expressed in Google+, Gmail, and YouTube. We’ll better understand which version of Pink or Jaguar you’re searching for and get you those results faster

   Easy to share and collaborate

   
   

   When you post or create a document online, you often want others to see and contribute. By remembering the contact information of the people you want to share with, we make it easy for you to share in any Google product or service with minimal clicks and errors.

   
   

   
   

    And then you decide, that Google is offering you quite alot of wonderful things in exchange for invading your privacy so you click "Ok, got it"  (but even as you click "ok, got it" you can't but wonder if "Ok, got it" is legally binding if you Google somehow screws you latter)
6. You read the pretty pity headlines and recognize it's all just marketing speak designed to lull into a sense of comfort.  You recognize Google's had it's arm twisted and is being forced to offer you a choice that you might not get latter so you decide "No, it's no ok, I don't got it' and you click on 'Read Policies Now'

Page 2 & Choice 2: Google Offers You Full Disclosure. Do you...

1. Notice the page you've just arrived on, looks strangely like the page you just read except this one now says "Policies and Principles" at the top, so you decide there's nothing new for me to see here so you simply close the window and get back to what you were doing.
2. Notice the page you've arrive on, looks similar except the third pictures, the "easy to share" picture, now has a picture of what appears to be a lock and there's three extra paragraphs you can only find if you were adventurous enough to scroll down to read them:

   Protecting your privacy hasn’t changed

   Our goal is to provide you with as much transparency and choice as possible, through products like Google Dashboard and Ads Preferences Manager alongside other tools. Ourprivacy principles remain unchanged. And we’ll never sell your personal information or share it without your permission (other than rare circumstances like valid legal requests).

   Understand how Google uses your data

   If you want to learn more about your data on Google and across the web, including tips and advice for staying safe online, check out Good to Know.

   Got questions? We’ve got answers

   Visit our FAQ to read more about the changes. (We figured our users might have a question or twenty-two.)

   Notice of change

   March 1, 2012 is when the new Privacy Policy and Google Terms of Service will come into effect. If you choose to keep using Google once the change occurs, you will be doing so under the new Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
   
   
   
3. you read the extra writing and then say thank goodness (or googleness) that Google is giving you "as much transparency and choice as possible" and that Google will "never sell your personal information or share it without your permission (other than rare circumstances," that Google can always  help you " learn more about your data on Google and across the web, including tips and advice for staying safe online, check out Good to Know." Your about to click on additional links but since the link is called "Good to know"  (which means, it's important but we already know, as in the dismissive reponse to the saftey first tips: thank's that's good to know) and since the FAQ link is titled the name of the pointless childhood game '21 questions' ("FAQ to read more about the changes. (We figured our users might have a question or twenty-two") you decide there's nothing worth seeing here  'so you leave the page and get back to what you were doing.
4.  You read the exta paragraphs and decide to click on some link on the FAQ links, where you read:   

   What if I don’t want to use Google under the new Privacy Policy and Terms of Service? 

   If you continue to use Google services after March 1, you’ll be doing so under the new Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. If you’d prefer to close your Google Account, you can follow the instructions in our help center. We remain committed to data liberation, so if you want to take your information elsewhere you can"  
    You think, wow! data liberation..now that sounds exciting! so you click through to 

While dataliberation.org sounds like a militant privacy roots group, you learn it's really not. So why the militant logo:  "What's with the logo? It grew out of the fact that we see ourselves fighting for the freedom of the users.  So basically, it's another joke.  Har har har. :-)"  And despite the serious, but joke of a name and logo the joke may still be on you even if you do decide to reject google's new privacy policy: "Are you done?  Are all of Google's products liberated? No.  While users can get data out of our products one way or another, we're about two thirds of the way throughand we continue to work to make it easier to get data in and out of our products."  As you click on this link you learn that dataliberation.org  teaches you not only how to escape from google it will also teach how to "Escaping to Gmail"  and thus liberate your data from other companies so google can get it!  You also learn At this point you begin back to get a headache so you go about your business....

Or, alternatively, you read through Google's new policies thoroughly and discover some new controls that offer a modicum of privacy...or if you still don't get it watch some of the videos below (the first is the google take on it's new privacy policy...if your going to just watch one video don't watch the google video it's a non-critical perspective [i.e., it's an info-advert from google])...and yes I'm writing this using google's blogger..

Google Explaining Ad Preferences:

Ads on the web

Make the ads you see on the web more interesting

Many websites, such as news sites and blogs, partner with us to show ads to their visitors. To see ads that are more related to you and your interests, edit the categories below, which are based on sites you have recently visited. Learn more


Your interests are associated with an advertising cookie that's stored in your browser. If you don't want us to store your interests, you can opt out below. Your ads preferences only apply in this browser on this computer. They are reset if you delete your browser's cookies.

Watch a video: Ads Preferences on Google Display Network explained

Your categories and demographics

No interest or demographic categories are associated with your ads preferences so far. You can add or editinterests and demographics at any time.

Your cookie

Google stores the following information in a cookie to associate your ads preferences with the browser you're using:

id=225bccd1790100f1||t=1329741208|et=730|cs=002213fd48ef310b6c128faf53

Visit the Advertising and Privacy page of our Privacy Center to learn more.




Google is a participating member of the Network Advertising Initiative and follows the industry privacy standards for online advertising. You can opt out of this cookie, as well as other companies' cookies used for interest-based ads, by visiting the aboutads.info choices page. If you want to persist your opt-out of interest-based ads from all NAI member companies, you can install the Keep My Opt-Outs plugin.


Google may use your Google account information, such as items you +1'd on Google websites and across the web, to personalize content and ads on non-Google websites. If you'd like to control how you see +1 recommendations from people you know, and how your +1 recommendations are shown to others, please visit the +1 button settings page.

Google Explaining It's Privacy principles'

At Google, we are keenly aware of the trust you place in us and our responsibility to protect your privacy. As part of this responsibility, we let you know what information we collect when you use our products and services, why we collect it and how we use it to improve your experience.

We have five privacy principles that describe how we approach privacy and user information across all of our products:

1. Use information to provide our users with valuable products and services.
2. Develop products that reflect strong privacy standards and practices.
3. Make the collection of personal information transparent.
4. Give users meaningful choices to protect their privacy.
5. Be a responsible steward of the information we hold.

Google's Privacy Tools:

Privacy tools

One of our goals at Google is to give users meaningful choices to protect your privacy. Here are some of our most popular tools that help you control your information:

• Google Dashboard

  
  
  Find the answer to the question, “What does Google know about me?” by visiting the Google Dashboard, which shows you information stored in your Google Account. From one central location, you can easily change your privacy settings for services such as Blogger, Calendar, Docs, Gmail, Picasa, and Profiles.

• Ads Preferences Manager

  
  
  View and edit the information Google uses to show you ads on Google search and Gmail, and interest-based ads on websites in Google’s ad network. Add or edit information to affect how ads are selected for you, or opt out of seeing customized ads altogether.

• Data Liberation Front

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  We think you should be able to control the information you store online. Learn how you can move your data in and out of Google products.

• Keep My Opt-Outs

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Install this Chrome extension for a one-step, persistent opt-out of ad personalization performed by companies adopting the industry privacy standards for online advertising.

• Encrypted search

  
  
  
  
  
  
  Encrypt the search traffic between your computer and Google, helping to protect your search terms and your search results pages from being intercepted by a third party. Try a more secure and private search experience.

• Incognito mode in Google Chrome

  
  
  
  
  
  
  When you want to browse the Internet in stealth mode, Google Chrome offers Incognito browsing. Pages you open and files you download while in Incognito mode aren’t recorded in Chrome’s browsing or download history, useful if you’re planning a surprise birthday present or party!

• Street View Blurring and Takedowns

  
  
  
  
  
  
  We automatically blur identifiable faces and license plates in Street View to protect individual privacy. We also provide easily accessible tools so you can request further blurring of any image that features yourself, your family, your car or your home. You can also request the removal of images that feature inappropriate content.

• Unlisted and Private Videos on YouTube

  
  
  YouTube was created for people to share ideas with the entire world. But sometimes you might just rather share it with a small group of friends or keep it to yourself. You can do that by choosing either unlisted or private when you upload your video.

• Web History Controls

  
  
  If you’re signed in to a Google Account and have turned on Web History when you search, it helps you see your previous search terms and which results you’ve clicked on. We provide you control by letting you delete individual entries, pause collection, or opt-out of the service altogether.

• Off the Record Gmail Chats

  
  
  Don’t want Gmail chat conversations to be stored in your account? Choose to chat “off the record”. You and your Gmail friends can see when a chat is taken off the record, and you’ll be instantly notified if your friend decides to chat on the record again.

• Google Analytics Opt-out

  
  
  Google Analytics generates statistics about visitors to websites, such as the number of page views or times of peak traffic. If you don’t want your anonymous browser data to be collected by Google Analytics when you visit sites that use Google Analytics, you can install an opt-out in your web browser.

• Search Personalization Opt-out

  
  
  Sometimes we personalize search results based on your previous activity in order to better help you find what you’re looking for, even if you’re not signed into a Google Account. But if you’d rather we didn’t do this, you can disable the feature altogether.

• Control Your Location in Google Latitude

  
  
  Google Latitude makes it easy to share your location with your family and friends in real time. You can adjust your privacy settings in Latitude so that you share as much or as little about your location as you want, with whom you want.