Google Sets Plan to Sell Users’ Endorsements (in other words, you should read this before it's too late)

1. Overview

"We are committed to improving your security, protecting your privacy, and building simple tools to give you choice and control."

(If you believe that I can sell you a bridge...    Today when I went to my google page there was small print at the top that I READ and CHANGED to protect my privacy.   If you're someone who is concerned about yours, you should read this and decide for you...)

The NY Times article describes it best:

 

Google Sets Plan to Sell Users’ Endorsements

By CLAIRE CAIN MILLER and VINDU GOEL

Published: October 11, 2013 

SAN FRANCISCO — Google, following in Facebook’s footsteps, wants to sell users’ endorsements to marketers to help them hawk their wares.

 

 

An example of a Google shared endorsement.

More Tech Coverage

News from the technology industry, including start-ups, the Internet, enterprise and gadgets.

On Twitter: @nytimesbits.

On Friday, Google announced an update to its terms of service that allows the company to include adult users’ names, photos and comments in ads shown across the Web, based on ratings, reviews and posts they have made on Google Plus and other Google services like YouTube. 

When the new ad policy goes live Nov. 11, Google will be able to show what the company calls shared endorsements on Google sites and across the Web, on the more than two million sites in Google’s display advertising network, which are viewed by an estimated one billion people. 

If a user follows a bakery on Google Plus or gives an album four stars on the Google Play music service, for instance, that person’s name, photo and endorsement could show up in ads for that bakery or album. 

Google said it would give users the chance to opt out of being included in the new endorsements, and people under the age of 18 will automatically be excluded. 

Read the rest of the article here:  http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/12/technology/google-sets-plan-to-sell-users-endorsements.html?_r=0

And find the information on Google here:

 https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/?fg=1

It will say:

Our legal policies

Some of you don’t like to read legal documents, but this stuff matters. Our Terms of Service cut through the jargon and provide you with clear details about our policies. Our Privacy Policy lays out our policies regarding your information in a simple and straightforward way.

• Terms of Service
  New: Our Terms of Service will be updated on November 11, 2013. Please see our summary of changes for additional details.
• Privacy Policy

Please take a few minutes to visit our FAQ for common questions.