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Source: ONE News -
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Google is the go-to search engine for millions of people but the company is frightening some users with upcoming changes to its privacy policy.
From March 1, Google will consolidate about 60 of its privacy policies into one "mega-policy", Computerworld Magazine editor Sarah Putt told TV ONE's Breakfast this morning.
Changes to its privacy policy mean the company will be able to link a user's data across all its different services.
"What the privacy policy will do is bring everything together," said Putt.
Google will store information about your habits when using products like Gmail, Google Mapsa and Google search and retain it in one consolidated area, Putt said.
"It will basically mean there will be a store of information about you. And what they really want to do is make a little home, a little ecosystem so that you never want to leave.
"What they're tryng to do is push Google Plus, their social networking tool, which is their rival to Facebook"
What this means is that Google will know if a user likes cooking, and if that users enjoys cooking curries, for example. The next time that person uses Google, search suggestions may well appear for other curry recipes.
And while Google is free, users will be paying for searches in a different way, said Putt.
"You may not pay for the actual search but you're paying by contributing to demographic information that advertisers are using to sell you stuff."
Google is telling users they can opt out by simply ceasing to use their products, said Putt.
Google Plus currently has around 90 million users, as opposed to more than 800 million who use Facebook.
