Google is introducing a more expansive ad tracking system that will include all your accounts on all Google-related sites and apps that you use. It sounds like an annoying but necessary evil when dealing with “free” services that still have to earn their money through advertising, not to mention it feels like a privacy issue as well. But the good news is that, unlike some others who are introducing something similar (cough, Facebook), at least you get the chance to opt-in for such a change.

In the next few days, you’ll probably get a notification from Google suggesting that you look in at your security settings (which you should do every once in a while). The prompt will also include permission to let Google track all of your information from Google Search to Chrome to YouTube, and all other Google-related products to “tailor fit” the ads that you will see when you go online anywhere beyond Google. But as we said, this will only happen when you give permission to Google to do so.

This will also give you “granular control” for how these ads will work across all your devices that will be signed into your Google account. To help you manage this further, you will also now be able to see all the things you do on Google in the My Activity page. It will show you all the pages you’ve visited, searches you’ve made, videos you’ve watched, etc, provided they serve Google ads. Of course you’ll be able to delete stuff that you’re embarrassed that you searched for or visited. Through this, you’ll be able to control the type of information that Google can collect from your account.

Unlike Facebook which has something like this turned on by default and just gives you the option to opt-out, the changes in Google will not affect you if you keep your security settings as it is. If you do opt-in, the control that you’ll have on what you’ll allow Google to get from you is pretty detailed, that is, if you have time. Check out the source links below to find out more about how you can control it.

VIA: Wired

SOURCES: Google (1), (2), (3)

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