Today is the day that Google implements their new Privacy Policy amidst warnings from regulators.  Google Director of Privacy, Product and Engineering Alma Whitten announced it on Google’s official blog.  Below is the gist of her post.

Our updated Privacy Policy takes effect today, March 1. As you use our products one thing will be clear: it’s the same Google experience that you’re used to, with the same controls.
And because we’re making these changes, over time we’ll be able to improve our products in ways that help our users get the most from the web.

While we’ve undertaken the most extensive user education campaign in our history to explain the coming changes, we know there has been a fair amount of chatter and confusion.

Here are a few important points to bear in mind:
Our Privacy Policy is now much easier to understand.
Our Privacy Policy will enable us to build a better, more intuitive user experience across Google for signed-in users.
Our privacy controls aren’t changing.

We’ll continue to look for ways to make it simpler for you to understand and control how we use the information you entrust to us. We build Google for you, and we think these changes will make our services even better.

The Effect

If you haven’t read the new policy, it basically says that all their products will be integrated, letting Google use the data acquired from each of their products and services to make everything more streamlined and targeted to individuals.  But Chrome, Google Wallet and Books aren’t affected by the change.

What concerns regulators the most is the fact that Google could be using their new privacy policy to acquire personal data and giving them to advertisers or letting other people know what you’ve been up to.  Do you really want people to know that you’re secretly into watching Glee?  And that you spend all your spare time Googling everything about the show and cast?

But Google insists that it doesn’t really work that way, and that users can just alter the privacy tools to manage which information they are willing to share.  Or if they are really doubtful about the new policy, just stop using their services.

Is Google Transparent Enough?

Ever since Google announced that they will be implementing their new privacy policy, they stated that they are being transparent with everyone.  But campaign group Big Brother Watch argues that Google hasn’t done enough to make people aware of the change, as well as favoring advertisers more than people’s privacy.

One of their research stated that 9 in 10 people hasn’t even read Google’s new privacy policy.

“Companies should not be allowed to bury in legal jargon and vague statements how they may monitor what we do online, where we use our phones and even listen to what we say in calls,” argues the Big Brother Watch post.  “This change isn’t about Google collecting more data, it’s about letting the company combine what’s in your emails with the videos you watch and the things you search for, and ultimately increase their profits.”

Google Got Served

One Android user who is very unhappy with regards to the change is suing Google.  Alex Hanff, a prominent privacy campaigner based in Lancaster, is suing Google for  £400 to replace his HTC Desire claiming that the new privacy policy represents an unfair change in contract terms and will force him to buy a new smartphone.

“The changes are a significant infringement of my right to privacy and I do not consent to Google being able to use my data in such a way,” Hanff stated.