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How To Opt-Out of Google's New Privacy Policy
Google recently announced that effective March 1, 2012, all of Google's services (Gmail, Google Search, Google+, Blogger, YouTube, and more) will begin using a single, combined privacy policy. This new privacy policy will make it possible for Google to gather all that data that it collects about you from all of it's various services and combine it into one database to "better serve you".
While I am personally not bothered by this and think that this whole story will blow over within a few days, many internet privacy experts are outraged that Google would use all of your "private" data in this way and more outraged that Google does not provide a way for you to Opt-out of this data collection.
How To Opt Out Of Google's Privacy Policy
While it is true that Google does not provide a way to opt-out of it's new privacy policy, there are some simple ways that you can prevent Google from collecting your private information:
- To opt-out of Google Search's new privacy policy and data-collection go to www.bing.com for all of your searching needs
- To opt-out of Gmail's data-collection take all of your free email needs to Hotmail.com, Yahoo.com, Me.com, or any of the dozens of other free email providers
- To opt-out of the Google+ data-collection take all of your social-networking needs to Facebook.com or Twitter.com
- To opt-out of Blogger's data-collection, take your blog-hosting needs to Wordpress.com or typepad.com
- To opt-out of You Tube's privacy policy and data collection take all of your video sharing needs to Vimeo.com
If you and enough other people are serious about not wanting Google to collect or use your web-surfing habits and other information, the only way to vote is with your eyeballs. If enough people's eyeballs start opting-out and pointing those eyeballs at Google's competitors, Google may just re-think their new privacy polices. If not, just remember that nobody is forcing anyone to use their services.
Thu, 01/26/2012 - 11:06am
#2
Re: How To Opt-Out of Google's New Privacy Policy
I think all the hubub is that apparently NOW people are realizing that if they watch a video on Youtube about "dog cleaning" Gmail may use that tidbit of information to show "dog cleaning" advertisements when you read your gmail.. THIS is why people are getting upset - but, as far as I now understand, Google had been doing this all along... NOW it will just be spelled out in one, easy-to-find privacy policy.
Thu, 01/26/2012 - 10:04am
#3
Re: How To Opt-Out of Google's New Privacy Policy
This whole stupid story is blown out of proportion and like you said it will blow over once everybody realizes. Google is not changing the way they collect your data they are already collecting all of your information but now they will just have one unified privacy policy. if you still don't like the fact that they are actually collecting your information or tracking your web searches, video-watching and gmail, then you should have stopped using google a long time ago
Thu, 01/26/2012 - 10:29am
#4
How To Opt-Out of The New Google Privacy Policy
if you still don't like the fact that they are actually collecting your information or tracking your web searches, video-watching and gmail, then you should have stopped using google a long time ago
I don't really mind that Google "learns" my preferences for the purposes of delivering me advertising that I am going to ignore but you are right - those that are "outraged" should have started using Hotmail or Bing a long time ago.. That way Hotmail and Bing will track everything they do instead of Google!
..I think the point that many people seem to miss is that nothing is free on the internet.. you either pay with dollars, your eyeballs (for advertising) or you pay with your "information".
Basically what I hear from this story is:
Google's going to take the information it gets from you and share it with... dun dun dun... Google.
If they're going to get the info, what do I care if they share it across their services... it's not like they don't already have it.
I get annoyed with how people think they have all of these rights when using someone's service/website/whatever... by using a service you agree to their TOS... and then people get all pissy because they didn't bother to read it and think that they should get to do whatever they want without abiding to the site's/service's policies.