A new policy of Google has erased a provision of not combining or including any data from the Double Click database with personally identifiable information gathered from Gmail and other Google accounts. Google has erased this old policy of storing web surfer’s data that tells about their internet browsing habits separate from personally identifiable information obtained from Gmail and other Google log-in accounts.
The change was implemented this recently. Google’s new policy eliminates a provision that has existed since the company acquired ad services firm Double Click in 2007. Double Click tracks the online browsing habits of internet users and maintains one of the largest databases of consumer online behavior in the industry.
After Google acquired Double Click for more than $3 billion, the company announced that it would not combine data from the Double Click database with personally identifiable information (PII) gathered from Gmail and other Google accounts. The company abide by that promise until earlier this year, when it literally struck through the provision to keep Double Click data separate from personal data.
In its place, Google put in new language announcing that going forward data about a user’s browsing habits may be combined with personal information. The company positioned the change as giving it a way to deliver more personalized services and ads to users based on their internet browsing habits.
So, in brief Google has now an option to combine those things which it knows about you from Gmail, YouTube and other applications that includes personally identifiable information (PII) with all of your web browsing habits collected using Double Click. This has been implemented since June.
How to Opt Out of Google’s Tracking system
To opt-out of Google’s tracking, first visit “activity controls” on Google’s “my account page”, and un-check the box next to “Include Chrome browsing history and activity from websites and apps that use Google services.”Or One can also delete their past history.