Google updates ‘Ad Settings’ Allows Users to Control More Personal Data
Faced with a growing problem of how personal data is used for targeted advertising, Google today announced a series of advertising tool updates designed to help users better understand why they see specific advertisements and help them control advertisements. Experience. Google Product Manager Philippe de Lurand Pierre-Paul said in a blog post that while the company still believes personal data helps provide more relevant advertising, Google understands that users still collect information from them. Feel anxious. Pierre-Paul hopes that the new features will help solve these problems. He wrote: “This information helps make ads more relevant and useful to you. However, in the new Ad Settings, if you no longer want us to tailor your ads based on one of these factors you can choose to turn it off.”
Image: Google
As these new features are introduced, Internet companies such as Google and Facebook are responding to the global rebound in personal data. The more stringent privacy laws in Europe have recently come into effect. Internet companies that rely on advertising want to take adequate measures to persuade regulators not to take further action. Take Google as an example, the first advertising tool to get updated is Ad Settings, which was initially launched in 2009. Now users can enter their Google account, click on ad settings, scroll through the list of factors that are considered algorithms, and find out which ads they are willing to accept. Users can click on categories for more details and even delete specific types.
Pierre-Paul wrote: “in the new Ad Settings, if you no longer want us to tailor your ads based on one of these factors you can choose to turn it off. Turning off a factor means you’ll no longer receive tailored ads related to it across our services, and on websites and apps that partner with us to show ads, as long as you’re signed in to your Google Account. The ads you see can still be based on general factors, like the subject of what you’re looking at or the time of day, or any other factor that is still turned on.”
Google is also updating its “Why this ad” tool, which was originally launched in 2011. This feature allows users to click on ads to understand why Google thinks people are interested. So far, the “Why this ad” tool is only available in a small number of ads on Google services and ad networks. Now, the company stated that it is expanding this tool so that it can be used in almost all products and services.
Pierre-Paul said in a blog post: “We’ve now significantly expanded coverage of this feature; starting today, you’ll see Why this ad? Notices on all our services that show Google Ads, such as ads on YouTube (including the YouTube app on connected TVs), Google Play, Gmail, Maps and Search. We’ve also expanded it to include almost all of the websites and apps that partner with us to show ads.”
