Google’s recently revised privacy policy once again has the world on edge. What are they up to now? The internet is not happy! Today we investigate what the search giant will be able to do with your information, and how it will affect your life.
Courtesy of buzzbox.com
No Privacy in The Policy
Google has announced that their ever-expanding network of social networking, video, tools and email sites will now obliterate privacy as we know it. It’s a bold move, but honestly – not a very surprising one. In the past year we’ve watched Google consolidate their efforts, as they attempt to dominate the internet. By linking their many sites together, it has become impossible to remain outside their reach.
Most recently, the internet reacted to Google’s new ‘personalized search’ – which recommends sites to you based on your social network and personal search preferences. Many social marketers predicted that this would be monetized soon enough. And now it has been. The next time you log on to Google signed in, and search for puppy products, the following day ads and videos will appear on this topic.
We just want to reiterate what we’ve always said – if you don’t want your personal information on the internet, don’t put it there. Now, it seems like you shouldn’t go anywhere on the internet either, without consciously knowing what you’re in for. But is this a bad thing? In the spirit of social sharing, no it’s not.
The Next Step in The Plan
Sure, you’ll have things associated with your face, and name – that you didn’t have to deal with before. And yes, anonymity on the internet is becoming a thing of the past. But as a social marketer this isn’t such a bad thing. In fact, it’s the next step in the evolution of social sharing. It makes sense that adverts should be personalized now. Who wants to be bombarded with ads that have absolutely no relevance to them?
At least this way, you might find a bargain or two, that you wouldn’t have seen before. For content creators, the situation is more complex. You’ll need to be aware of the things that you search for – when logged into your Google accounts. If you ignore this warning, it could be the biggest threat to your online reputation that you’ve ever had to face.
The Big Brother Internet
Google is not doing anything wrong. If we suddenly start persecuting the largest sites on the internet – we’d have to shut everything down. Facebook is equally as guilty, as are many others. These sites have given us so much for free, but people tend to lose sight of that. Instead they’re content with being outraged that a company is actually trying to make money.
If anything, this personalized search will help YOUR business sell more products and services. It increases the value of Google’s PPC networks. It will help you get more views on your optimized videos. Heck, it will even lead more prospects to your door. So, let’s give Google a break. This was always going to happen! Responsibility for your actions is still squarely on your own shoulders, as it always has been.
What do you think of Google’s new privacy policy? Share your thoughts with us below.
