Google simplifies privacy settings
Internet giant Google has made the data protection settings for its services clearer and simpler. Users can now restrict what information Google collects and analyzes about them from a central point of contact.
Among other things, you can prevent the company from saving which terms you type into Google search or which videos you watch on YouTube. Google evaluates this information in order to display personalized advertising to users. The new options apply to all users, regardless of whether they have a Google account or not. For users without a Google account, the settings are collected on the MyAccount.Google.com website under the "Tools available now" link. If you have a Google account, for example with the email service Gmail or the video platform YouTube, you can access the overview page via the account settings. There you can restrict the information that Google stores about your surfing and search activities. Data protectionists have repeatedly criticized Google for combining information about its users into profiles. Advertising via Google on other websites can also be restricted: Users can specify that no information about their interests or age is used for this purpose. Users can also switch off the analysis of their location, which could be particularly interesting for owners of smartphones with Google's Android operating system. However, this data collection is not switched on from the outset: Android users have to agree to it when setting up their smartphone. (SDA)
