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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."

15 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:Attack? by gl4ss · · Score: 5, Interesting

      look, I only technically have a google+ account because google tricked me into getting one. I could resist them on gmail. but as soon as I changed my youtube account to "new style" (or some shit like that) then BAM! I was as a google+ user.

      you know why they did that? to drive up g+ user stats. fucking peons hunting for fake user numbers, that's what they are.

      I'm not aware of fb using say instagram to trick people into becoming stat manipulation users..

      and I sure as fuck don't want my social network to be handled by the guys who handle my search and mail..

      --
      world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
    3. Re:Attack? by swillden · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Out of curiosity, would you be okay with Google using your publicly-published reviews and comments as endorsements in ads if you were paid a portion of the ad revenue?

      --
      Note to ACs: I usually delete AC replies without reading them. If you want to talk to me, log in.
    4. Re:Attack? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      you can use grease monkey to block that annoying google popup trying to force you to open a google+ account. here is one http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/153375

  2. It isn't that bad by Chemisor · · Score: 4, Interesting

    This only happens when you participate in a similar activity, such as using +1, writing a review, or following a product. These actions already act as endorsements within your circles; the new ads only make them more explicit. In my view, this is merely yet another reason to avoid putting anything on your Google+ profile, if you needed one. All this spying and marketing is slowly but surely making social network users shut up - a very good thing indeed.

    1. Re:It isn't that bad by peragrin · · Score: 4, Insightful

      NY comic con thought it should tweet from visitors accounts. this means if you ever look up a product on amazon all your friends know you were surfing for (insert fetish here).

      Companies are trying to force you to support their products so they can cheap out of advertising as real advertising is about 5% successful(on a good day).

      Word of mouth is the best advertising So by crosslinking into your social networks companies can advertise with words that appear to be coming out of your mouth.

      I have avoided social networks for just this reason. people think I am paranoid but damn sometimes it sucks to be right.

      --
      i thought once I was found, but it was only a dream.
  3. 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?

  4. The big differences... by OpenYourEyes · · Score: 5, Informative

    It seems like there are three big differences between how Google is handling this and how Facebook handled this:

    1. Google is blasting the notice pretty visibly all over the place. Open a tab and you can't help but see info about it. It is in your notifications. They are making it loud and clear that this is going to happen, and being pretty transparent about what it means.
    2. Google is making it easy to opt out. If you opted out of some things, or if you're in an apps domain, you're already opted out. If not, there are prominent links telling you how to opt out of this.
    3. This is only happening for public activities. You can argue if a +1 or a review should be public or if it violates Google's own concept of circles, but they're making it clear this won't apply to things you share privately.

    I may have issues with how they're forcing some activities to be public only, but I can't fault them for trying to make it very clear what is public, what is private, and how they intend to respect the difference between the two.

  5. Re:Opt in? by rubycodez · · Score: 5, Informative

    wrong. if your check box is off that merely means you disabled it prior to this announcement, probably when you joined, but look it up, FACT the default has always been for that setting to be ON when you joined gooogle+. it is ON by default..

    http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57607100-93/google-wants-to-sell-more-ads-using-your-name-and-profile/

    google: do evil

  6. 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.

  7. There are ads on Facebook?!?! by websitebroke · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Oh, right, I forget that people actually use the web without an ad blocker.

  8. 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

  9. Re:Opt in? by BradMajors · · Score: 5, Informative

    You can only partially opt-out. Google is intending to use your name and picture without your consent:

      "This setting only applies to use in ads, and doesn't change whether your Profile name or photo may be used in other places such as Google Play,"

  10. My new profile pic will be by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    My new profile pic will be
    a picture of myself holding a sign, "Don't buy this stuff please" :)