Google ToS Change Means Your Photo Could Go In Ads 136
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."
Attack? (Score:5, Insightful)
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How is this an attack against Facebook? Are they competing for the title of "most hated social network"?
Who the hell uses Google+? They keep annoying me to use it and I can't find a single use for it.
Re:Attack? (Score:4, Interesting)
Most people who actively use it seem to be using it as a replacement for Skype. That's a pretty big market in terms of users, so I'd guess there are probably tens of millions of people actively using G+.
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You can use G+ to replace skype? How?
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Probably more a replacement for goto meeting
Re: Attack? (Score:2)
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Every Google account is a G+ account these days. So quite a number of people have a G+ account - most likely either through GMail, Picasa, or YouTube since all the accounts got merged together.
Of course, it looks like it's only on stuff you've +1'd so far, but who knows, they may use the pages you visit (through the +1 tags on every page these days) as virtual +1s...
Re: Attack? (Score:2, Insightful)
Better an obscure IRC channel in your own server and sharing with friends than Google+/Facebook and sharing your life with NSA.
Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)
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That's why I told them a fake name and use a picture of a robot for my avatar.
I'm going to GIMP up my DL to show the fake and email it to them.
Along these lines (Score:1)
It's worth mentioning that Google now insists that images submitted by commercial sites for google shopping (google base) now contain no copyright or other identifying verbiage, or they will lock you out of base/shopping. They use these images, for instance that we have produced, to advertise products for other companies.
We stopped using google base over this issue. When we spend time doing product photography, we are NOT ok with those photos being used by google to promote our competitors.
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That's 31 flavours of bullshit.
Er, I'm calling Google assholes, not you a liar. I believe you.
Re:Attack? (Score:5, Interesting)
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I mean I have nothing against the general principle. But there isn't much chance I'd agree to it.
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Maybe, if they got my clear, express consent by some means other than obscure fine print buried in a multi-page TOS.
In this case, they're getting your consent by putting a big blue notification bar on every single Google page you visit, until you click on it to see the terms, which are presented in a single page [google.com] of clear English, with a nice three-bullet summary at the top, with a sub-bullet that gives you a direct link to the opt in/out.
Really, I don't know how it could have been made any clearer.
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"In this case, they're getting your consent by putting a big blue notification bar on every single Google page you visit, until you click on it to see the terms, which are presented in a single page of clear English, with a nice three-bullet summary at the top, with a sub-bullet that gives you a direct link to the opt in/out. "
In that case, Google may have actually improved. Personally, I am not even slightly interested so I haven't seen it. I've seem some of their old ones, though... which is why I haven't been interested.
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Re:Attack? (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..
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You can go and delete your Google+ account completely and it won't affect the Youtube thing.
Also, if Google hits you with the real name/ Google+ link demand after logging in, just reload the youtube.com page or reclick the bookmark. I know it's a pain in the arse, but it keeps them from asking.
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When I deleted the YouTube account (that I had linked to my non-tainted [wikipedia.org] Google Account long before), it was partly because reloading the page didn't stop the Real Name harassment. Whether this was because cookies didn't save, or whether Google has changed this in the months since, doesn't really matter to me anymore. They wanted my business and didn't want my trust, and now have neither my trust nor my YouTube account.
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as soon as I changed my youtube account to "new style" (or some shit like that) then BAM! I was as a google+ user.
They did that to me via YouTube and something else I can't remember. But in each case I bloody-mindedly went into the G+ profile settings and deleted the entire thing. You can delete your G+ profile and all associated data. My YouTube comments etc. for that account remained.
It's very intrusive, but hey we don't pay for all the nice things they give us, so I don't mind doing a bit of work to clean up after them. :)
Oh, and as for a "clean interface", what? First time I was forced to use the G+ thing, I wonder
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Re:Attack? (Score:5, Informative)
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How is this an attack against Facebook? Are they competing for the title of "most hated social network"?
No, they're competing with other social network providers over advertisement dollars.
It's now becoming so hard to avoid joining Google+ that they pretty much don't have to compete for users. If you're using the Internet you're probably going to join Google+ within the next few months, possibly by accident.
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It's a direct attack on the people who search, get their mail, and watch videos through Google, and a direct love letter to Facebook and their vile business model.
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Attack on privacy (Score:3)
Attack on privacy is a far more correct and honest asessment.
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Any advice?
More cheese.
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And start to upload all twisted images you have. Nice scenario, but why is there a dead cow in it?
Opt in? (Score:3, Informative)
As I read the ToS, this is an opt in. So if you for some reason want to show your google+ friends, followers, or the world that you "+1" something, your can turn this feature on.
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Re:Opt in? (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?
Re:Opt in? (Score:4, Informative)
They've effectively been doing it already with the play store. You can see if any of the people in your circles have added a +1 to any of the apps. It's actually pretty handy.
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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?
No, you are wrong. The checkbox is off, you have to opt-in. That doesn't mean they won't change that at a later date, though.
Re:Opt in? (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/ [cnet.com]
google: do evil
Re:Opt in? (Score:4, Insightful)
Yeah, I'm pretty sure the last time I went through it that it was on by default. As I mentioned above, they only used it for thing on the Play store though. If people are "+1"ing businesses and products though, what is their intention ... who are they indicating "approval" too? I suppose it might just be a way of bookmarking something for themselves, but I always hought it was more meant for the subject of the approval and others to see anyway.
Google Apps accounts are opted out (Score:2)
It seems Google Apps accounts are opted out by default, but Gmail and other regular Google accounts may be opted in by default.
Still, they have made it very clear how to turn it off, and you would still need to comment, +1, or follow something for "Sharing" to kick in. I can kinda see how it's a nuisance, but they are being very up-front about it and making sure all user are notified via several notification methods.
I'm more bothered by the half-assed attempt to tie my Google account and real name to thing
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Yup, think it's the Google Apps thing.
"Based on your domain's current settings, your name and profile picture will not appear in shared endorsements paired with ads. If your domain administrator changes this in the future, your choice here will be honoured."
Which means that for Google Apps users, you are actually not permitted to opt in, because it explicitly says it will ignore you and keep you opted out anyway!
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google: do evil
Oh, so now the bar for doing evil is set at "being allowed to voluntarily add a photo to your google product reviews."
If that is your definition of evil then I wonder; do you have any words left for describing what was going on in the Auschwitz-Birkenau, Majdanek and Treblinka death camps.
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I don't mind "opt-in" in the form of stepping through the settings on sign-up where you are shown the option checked and need to un-check it, but I'm not sure if that's what's done here. I usually manually step through the settings for stuff, but I don't remember being walked through it on first use. Opt-in without that important step is at least somewhat slimy.
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Or if leave a review of something on Google Places.
Seriously: this is simply putting your review of a topic next to the ad for that topic. You know... that review (even if it is just a +1) that you made public, on the internet? I would think that posting something public already qualifies as an opt-in. They are simply indexing the information you put out into the public differently.
They've been putting the same information next to search results since the beginning of +1 and Google Places. Indexing and
Re:Opt in? (Score:4, Informative)
Well, I just looked at my google+ account: "Shared Endorsement" is "off" on my account, even though I accepted the new ToS. The ToS I received stated it was something I could enable if I wished.
Doesn't seem evil to me.
Re:Opt in? (Score:4, Informative)
that just means you disabled that setting, likely when you joined google+. that doesn't change the fact that the default is for it to be on. look it up.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57607100-93/google-wants-to-sell-more-ads-using-your-name-and-profile/ [cnet.com]
Re:Opt in? (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.
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I'm opted out by default. The setting is unchecked without me having to change anything. Presumably it's the same for Peter H.S. too.
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wrong. I just went to the page and the checkbox was not checked by default. It's opt in.
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Time to watermark all your photos with Copyright 2013 on them.
Step it up (Score:1)
Time to watermark all your photos with Copyright 2013 on them.
No, time to watermark all your photos with Copyright Disney 2013. Google wont care about individual photographers copyrights any more than Hot Topic does, but even Google hesitates over a copyright fight with the Mouse. (enough so that you might even find your photos yanked if you do that)
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I realise (think) your comment is partly in jest, but in theory, such an action could be legally interpreted as assigning copyright of your photos to Disney which could mean they would be able to use your photos in much the same way as Google wants to.
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As I read the ToS, this is an opt in. So if you for some reason want to show your google+ friends, followers, or the world that you "+1" something, you can turn this feature on.
Let me highlight that for you.
(and yes, I just checked my google settings, and it seems to be off by default)
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It seems to be opt-out for me, I went straight to the settings and it was turned on by default.
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Quoting the ToS:
Emphasis mine. You have to turn if off, so it is opt-out. Evil.
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Don't complete your profile nor give em your real name. I haven't nor will do it. They keep bugging me to finish the damn thing but it's finished as far as I'm willing to go.
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Re:Opt in? (Score:4, Interesting)
Actually some people where opted out by default. I and others were opted in. There's no discernible pattern I can figure out for who was opt-in and who was opt-out. It does not depend on what you already agreed to previously, and it does not seem to depend on the jurisdiction where you live.
Re:Opt in? (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,"
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You might want to read the detailed explanation of that:
"Changing this setting does not impact how your name and photo might look in a shared endorsement that is not in an ad – for example, when you share a music recommendation that is displayed in the Play Store. You can limit the visibility of activity outside of ads by deleting the activity or changing its visibility settings."
I tend to think that if I intentionally share an endorsement, then I might just have given explicit consent to ... um, shar
Don't be evil (Score:2)
It isn't that bad (Score:5, 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.
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I think businesses sometimes have contests, etc for following them. It's also good to get product updates from companies that have products that interest you. Tips, sales, etc.
Re:It isn't that bad (Score:5, 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.
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You might be right but you will also be left on the digital roadside. In 10 yrs you won't be able to do anything without social media.
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I believe it means adding a page for a product to one of your circles. If your privacy settings are such that other people would see what's in your circles, then the same people would be able to see your identity in such an ad.
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When I read the changes to the terms and conditions, I thought that it seemed like it was probably limited to +1s, reviews etc that I had explicitly posted, so was quite reasonable. On the other hand, it does not explicitly say it is limited to those, so I decided in the end that it was best to opt out.
The big differences... (Score:5, Informative)
It seems like there are three big differences between how Google is handling this and how Facebook handled this:
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.
Re:The big differences... (Score:4, Interesting)
I'm going to hang up this phone, and then I'm going to show these people what you don't want them to see.
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Evidently the truth is flamebait... Who'd a thunk?
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Not yet. Search NSA Utah arc fault explosions. The server farm keeps having explosions to keep it off line.
Few advantages? (Score:2)
If by few advantages you mean in addition to having a superior mobile app, better website, yes it is a small thing.
If someone is going to get your info, it may as well be the same company who knows how often you search for midget porn as well (you, not me).
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I figure it's trading some privacy for a service, so you may as well make the deal that gives you personally the best value for your information. I got into the free Google Apps thing before they stopped offering it, so it's an easy decision for me, and probably for people that really like GMail and Google Calendar as well. I know people with kids that couldn't live without Calendar for scheduling activities.
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Exactly. After years of mooching free DNS and mail servers from friends, I switched to the google apps account I had created years before and never used. It works great and I don't have to worry about my ISP ever turning off my service for running "unauthorized servers", plus google runs the spam filters for me. There is no such thing as a free lunch, so get the best value for it.
Google appears to be the most up-front about their privacy options and IMO has the best interface for controlling it.
The next steps for google. (Score:1)
1. You can't opt-out of your Google+ information being used for ads.
2. Your search history, most recently visited web pages and all your bookmarks are automatically shared via Google+. It will be an opt-in program.
3. Now you can't opt-out. This feature will be enabled for all users.
4. All your emails sent to your Gmail address will be automatically copied over to your Google+ page for the public to see. It will be an opt-in program.
5. Now you can't opt-out. This feature will be enabled for all user
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It will only happen if there is money to be made from it.
Does it impact photos on Picasa? (Score:1)
Does it impact photos on Picasa?
Curious (Score:1, Interesting)
I just noted a curious fact.
I had a Firefox extension installed that kept me informed about the personal information I was sharing with the sites visited. This extension had a nice calculator, too, letting me check how much my personal information was worth for Google and Facebook advertisers, so I could restrict the settings and diminish my "value" as an ad target.
Before installing the plug-in I was worth more than 750$/year for Google and 134$/year for Facebook. After "closing" the holes, my value as ad t
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Dude has messed up FF extension and gets modded up? WTF.
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Countering (Score:2)
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But I like the idea.
Maybe we ought to have a slashdot contest for icons and pix that protesters could use as their profile pic, items that say "Google Is Evil" or "Don't Believe this Crap" or photoshopped images of Sergey Brin with a Hitler mustache.
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Now Do Evil (Score:1)
I know some telemarketers exploit this and sell their products to people with mental problems, dementia and what not. We all
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I've expected Google to do this since I signed up for gmail. They're an advertising corporation and only make money from adverts. Does this bother me? Not really as I've taken steps from the beginning to devalue my worth to them for advertising purposes - the first step was to never complete the fucking profile - it has my handle and an avatar with a nonsense location of "Out of my Mind".
There are ads on Facebook?!?! (Score:5, Interesting)
TOS and what Google Does. (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
My new profile pic will be (Score:4, Funny)
My new profile pic will be :)
a picture of myself holding a sign, "Don't buy this stuff please"
goatse avatar (Score:1)
I think everyone should change their image to goatse or tub girl and +1 the hell out of every thing. I think google would respond posthaste when their advertisers shit themselves (pun intended) when that shows up in their ads
Mine was disabled by default (Score:1)
Comment removed (Score:4, Insightful)
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Fine google will just show up and take a pic of you with a silent camera app.