Google’s New Terms and Conditions

In the last two weeks whoever enters his gmail or other Google service has been notified that started from March 2012, the company’s privacy policy will change. “We get rid of more than 60 different versions of the privacy policy on Google and replacing them with shorter and easier to read policy” Google said.

“Short” and “Easy”

The new policy “reflects our desire to create one simple and intuitive experience all over Google.” Politicians and private organizations concerned this particular merger may actually violate our privacy, because the concentration of information we have in several different sources. Others believe that the policy is clear and reasonable. What is worth knowing about the new policy?

The privacy policies that will take effect you can read right now. But “shorter” and “easier to read” is relative. The texts more clearer indeed, but there are lots of them. Apart from the overview, there is the privacy policy itself, Terms and Conditions, FAQ, Privacy Principles, privacy principles detailed explanations on the blog, self-regulation framework and privacy practices specific Google products. The “Terms of Use”, are lengthy, complex and exhausting in any software and network service, and sometimes they are written in technical legal language and confusing. It is likely that many of us do not bother to read them. Who fears his privacy and wants to know exactly what to do with his information is highly recommended to invest and read all that apply from it. We will try to touch the main things.

What Google wants to know?

Google is committed not to gather more information after the change (note that the current amount is quite big already), but unit of the information it collects about us from all its various services: The videos we choose to watch on YouTube, emails we receive to Gmail, and so on. To some extent, consolidation of information between services also occurred to date. This information is not sent to another party or sold, according to Google, but is processed for advertisements display. However, Google will give out your information if it will be asked to do so legally.

Google also says that they “prevent access to personal information and allow access only to employees, contractors and agents of Google who need to process it for us, and are subject to confidentiality obligations binding or violate them, disciplinary action will be taken against them or we end the contract with them”. That is, like other databases, the human factor plays a role here. Such events are rare, but may happen.

Who Google knows, for example, that when searching “Titanic” you meant the ship that sinked as sea 100 years ago or the movie that just got a new three-dimensional version now? If you gave +1 on Google plus publications to the film, and watched the trailers on YouTube, that might help tilt the outcome in favor of the movie when you search for that name.

Who are we?

Google offers us to add to emails, documents and meetings we have written all kinds of people in our address book. Now it will offer us the people we are in touch with regularly in one of the other Google products. In the the past the company was fined and forced to apologize for using your contacts from Google Buzz, one of Google unsuccessful attempts for social network. It is likely that this time Google will be more careful.

“If you have a Google account and you’re connected,” write Google, “We may combine information you provide one service with information from other services. In short, we will treat you as a user of any of our products.” That is enough that you registered Gmail, YouTube, Google Docs or other services if you are contacting one, you are contacting everyone. If you closed the window and opened Gmail’s Google search, you are still connected. You can always click Sign Out in one of Google’s products and make sure to leave the site in order to avoid the information saving. You can also sign up separately for each service and service. It’s less convenient, but gives better protection to your privacy.

Google are “asking for personal details such as your name, email address, phone number or credit card,” as many other services. “We may replace previous names associated with your Google Account in order to have consistent representation in all our services,” write Google, and if other visitors have some details about you, they can get the full profile. You do not have to give all your details, if you gave them before you can edit them  here and remove some data is unnecessary.

What are we looking for?

“Like most Web sites, our servers automatically record the page requests made ​​when you visit our sites,” explains Google. In other words, every page you were visiting, and Google search you have made are documented, along with your IP address. They also save the browser type and language – characteristics that may identify you uniquely. Google of course retains the information, but there were cases before such information is leaked. In 2006, a list of millions of searches carried out by AOL users was leaked and without identifying the searches by name or IP, it was possible to extract information and reach those specific people.

What can you do? You can use the search option while not connected to other Google product (again – Sign Out). Searching from different computers, or different browsers as possible. And do not forget to erase the history of the search. Still it is very difficult to hide and they can identify you by your browser. Also, you do not have to turn any Internet search to a secret project – there are things that Google will know.

The bottom line

Google does not want to collect more information about us than before. It also does not want to sell it or pass it on just like that. In the end, it is a business interest to keep this information before it goes to competitors. The new terms and conditions mainly consolidate all of its products and should be more readable by non-skiers in technical and legal terms, and to some extent it’s easier to read. The company also provides tools to delete our records as the dashboard, and release information. You do not have to worry about Google. And yet, you should know who you are giving your information to – and what information you give.