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The Internet: it's a part of every Pennsylvania household, an indispensable resource, a source of endless entertainment, and an incomparably effective communication tool. Most of us can hardly imagine life without it. Its advantages are many, but it has its drawbacks, too. Chief among them is loss of privacy. What you search for, shop for, and look at on the Web is not just saved; it's shared, and used by advertisers who tailor their marketing strategies accordingly.
Last month, Googlea gigantic web presence whose services include Gmail, YouTube, Picasa, G+, Google Maps, and moremade major changes to its privacy policy, changes that were alarming to some of those who understand the risk of privacy on the Web.
Now, instead of gathering bits of personal information about the users of each of its various services, Google will consolidate all the information it gathers about the users of all its services. This means that when you are logged into Google, and you do a Google search, watch a video on YouTube, or email a friend using Gmail, Google is "watching," and using what it discovers about your life, your tastes, and your interests to help marketers shape ads that will then show up when you use any Google services. For example, if you watch lots of baseball videos on YouTube, and your Gmail account location is set for Los Angeles, you might end up seeing ads for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Google has not provided a way for users to opt out of its new privacy policy. Of course, some people couldn't care less. Others, however, find it disturbing. In the U.S., the National Association of Attorneys General expressed "strong concerns" in a letter to Google CEO Larry Page, which said, "The new policy forces these consumers to allow information across all of these products to be shared, without giving them the proper ability to opt out." And the European Union plans to conduct an investigation to determine whether Google's new policy violates European law.
If you count yourself among those who don't like the idea of being tracked while you use the Web, there are some steps you can take to protect your privacy.
Log Out of Google Even though you can't actually opt out of Google's revised privacy policy, the tracking only happens when you are logged into Google. And you don't need to be logged in to do a Google search or watch a YouTube video.
Adjust Your Browser Settings Mozilla Firefox users can go to their settings, click on the "Privacy" tab, and check off the box "Tell Websites I Don't Want To Be Tracked."
For more information about Internet privacy and business issues, contact Keller-Brown Insurance Services.