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Google ToS Change Means Your Photo Could Go In Ads

Posted by timothy on from the ok-ok-I-like-nutella-and-coffee dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Google [on Friday] announced an upcoming change to its terms of service that will let the company add users' names and photos to certain parts of its advertising as of November 11. Make no mistake: this is a direct attack against Facebook. One of the few advantages of Google+ is that it features no ads. To be perfectly clear, Google isn't changing that. Google+ will still have a clean interface, at least for the foreseeable future. Instead, Google is tying Google+ into yet another one of its properties, and arguably its most important one: Google Ads."

5 of 136 comments (clear)

  1. Attack? by OptimalCynic · · Score: 5, Insightful

    How is this an attack against Facebook? Are they competing for the title of "most hated social network"?

    1. Re:Attack? by hairyfeet · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Sorry but I'm with the AC, after they changed their TOS the first time and bugged the living shit out of me to use my real name everywhere they can take G+ and shove it, I avoid it like an STD.

      And this is part of another trend I REALLY don't fucking like, corps avoiding copyrights when its good for THEM but royally screwing you if you dare do the same. Well screw you Google, my pics are copyrighted,wanna use 'em? PAY ME. of course i won't be putting them into either FB or G+ and I'd strongly suggest nobody put jack shit that you care about in either, but maybe you should upload pics to let them know how they feel about these changes....a nice Goatse perhaps?

      --
      ACs don't waste your time replying, your posts are never seen by me.
  2. Re:Opt in? by rubycodez · · Score: 5, Insightful

    no, you have it backwards. you are opted in by default, you have to opt out.

    The default setting for "Shared Endorsements" is to use your google+ information in ads.

    do no evil, huh?

  3. Re:Opt in? by Peter+H.S. · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The whole point of pressing "+1" is that other people can see your vote. It is like writing a product review on Amazon; doesn't make much sense if your default setting for writing reviews or pressing "+1" is "that no one can see what you do".

    But google makes it very easy to turn it off if you want (superb user panel IMHO).

    So the only news is that you now can allow your photo etc. to show up on the "endorsement" like a product, or a political cause. You actually have to write a review first using your google account for this ever to happen, even if you have "Shared Endorsements" activated.

    Not something for me, but I am sure that there are some who get a kick out of seeing their own face and review among google search results.

  4. TOS and what Google Does. by bmo · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The last time I logged into Google, there was a banner on the top of the browser window. "Our Privacy Policies Have Changed" and such, in bright Google blue.

    I actually read the privacy policy change.

    Then I unticked the box. They won't be using my "face" in ads. Bam.

    This is really, really hard to do.

    I wish some other (nearly all) companies were this forthcoming with their privacy policy changes. Especially when they put the onus on the user to actively diff the changes for their own selves in order to actually find them. They don't even take the minimum effort to post a notice.

    --
    BMO