25 January 2012 | Author: R Wood Media Intern

Google merges privacy settings

Google has announced changes to its privacy policies that from 1 March will move users to one single, consolidated policy.

"Despite trimming our policies in 2010, we still have more than 70 privacy documents covering all of our different products," Director of Privacy, Product and Engineering Alma Whitten wrote on the Google blog.

"This approach is somewhat complicated. It's also at odds with our efforts to integrate our different products more closely so that we can create a beautifully simple, intuitive user experience across Google."

Most of Google's products and services will be included in the new privacy policy - Google Books, Google Wallet and Google Chrome will all retain their own policies.

As a result, the new policy grants Google explicit rights to combine users' personal information across the majority of Google's products and services.

"Our new privacy policy makes it clear that, if you're signed in, we may combine information you've provided from one service with information from other services. In short, we'll treat you as a single user across all products," Whitten wrote.

For users, the new privacy policy means that when signed in, user data will be shared between services - for example, between Gmail, YouTube, Google+ and Google Maps - resulting in more refined search results and relevant ads.

"We can provide reminders that you're going to be late for a meeting based on your location, your calendar and an understanding of what the traffic is like that day," Whitten said.

Google took a big step towards more integrated user data with the Search plus Your World update, with the new privacy policy changes moving even further toward a more personal, integrated user experience.

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