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Users have been able to control certain privacy settings for
months or years, such as whether to save web browser and
location history, which is also used in targeted advertising.
But managing the controls is confusing and time consuming
because the settings are in various places across the web that
are not always easy to find.
Now users will be able to use My Account, which provides a
privacy checkup and security checkup, or lists where people can
check off which data they want to be public and private.
Google's new website answers frequently asked questions, such as
whether the company sells personal data and what information is
given to advertisers.
"We knew that users find privacy and security really mysterious
so we wanted to make it very approachable," said Guemmy Kim,
product manager for account controls and settings.
Data control has become increasingly important to users in
recent years as more day-to-day activity has moved to the
Internet.
In 2013, Edward Snowden leaked classified documents that showed
the U.S. National Security Agency was engaging in mass
collection of phone records, placing companies that have
enormous amounts of data, such as Google, Facebook and Apple,
under increasing scrutiny.
Only 9 percent of people in a recent Pew survey felt they had a
"lot" of control over their data.
Monday's rollout comes on the heels of newly increased app
permissions for Android, which Google announced at its annual
developer’s conference last week. The new system mirrors the app
permissions on Apple's iPhones, which do not allow apps to
automatically access numerous types of data, such as location or
phone contacts.
(Reporting By Yasmeen Abutaleb; Editing by Michael Perry)
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