Unnoticed change in Google’s Privacy Policy enables more invasive online ad tracking

By Asheeta Regidi A small change to Google’s Privacy Policy in June this year removed the clause which kept Double Click data and user’s personal information separate. The Privacy Policy previously assured users that they ‘…will not combine DoubleClick cookie information with personally identifiable information unless we have your opt-in consent’. The June Privacy Policy replaced this crucial line with, ‘Depending on your account settings, your activity on other sites and apps may be associated with your personal information in order to improve Google’s services and the ads delivered by Google’. Under privacy laws, so long as Google informs users that ‘a’ change was made, it is under no obligation to inform the users of what these changes are.