Today both Facebook and Google privacy changes. The Facebook privacy setting that allowed users to hide their profile from search is being removed. Google privacy change could mean you will show up in ads across it’s network of sites.
Changes in Facebook Privacy and Google Privacy
Today privacy changes were reveled that could impact your online privacy. Of the two, Google is certainly taking the more ‘Don’t Be Evil’ approach as it’s change allows you to opt out, whereas Facebook is removing a privacy setting that allowed you to opt out.
Google Privacy change: Your profile could be used in ads
Changes to Google’s Terms of Service today means some users’ profiles could start showing up in ads across the web next month. The company calls this “shared endorsements”. Basically, this means they can leverage any reviews, comments, +1’s, stars, etc that a user may have given to a business. They do this by placing that user’s name, photo, and any relevant comment in a personalized advertisement. Here are some examples of shared endorsements. The example on the right shows a shared endorsement displayed in an ad: 
On the plus side (pun intended) you regular privacy settings are not impacted and you can opt out. You get to decide whether you want your name and photo included in shared endorsements and no one under the age of 18 can have their info used. Additionally, users that previously opted out of +1s will automatically be exempted. So in my case this new setting was already set to disabled. Google Privacy – How to turn on or off shared endorsements on ads:
- Sign into your Google account.
- Go to the Shared Endorsements setting page. If you are not already a Google+ user, you will be asked to upgrade your account.
- To allow people to see your name and photo in shared endorsements appearing in ads, check the box next to “Based upon my activity, Google may show my name and profile photo in shared endorsements that appear in ads.” Then, click the “Save” button to save your new setting.
- If you’d like to disable this setting, just uncheck the box and click “Save.” Remember, unchecking the box means that Google won’t be able to share your recommendations with your friends in some cases where they might otherwise see and benefit from them.
Facebook Privacy change: Everyone Can Search for You on Facebook Now
The words “Facebook Privacy” are almost a joke these days since they are constantly changing them. A recent change to a Facebook settings means all users will soon be able to be found through the site’s search function. Previously, users could hide their profile from search via a setting to indicate whether or not they wanted to show up in search results. Facebook removed that Facebook privacy feature so new users cannot set it; they’ve done so to beef up their Graph Search. If you currently have it set, you’ll remain opt’d out. That is until they push a notification out telling users they’re removing the setting and letting them click “OK, I understand”. The “Who can look up your Timeline by name” feature formerly used to let users limit who could find their profile photo and basic information when they entered a name in the search bar. In an online post about removing the service, Facebook said only a “small percentage” of its almost 1.2 billion active users had enabled the setting. Still, one percent of 1.2 billion users means 12 million users who previously used that setting have had it quietly removed. If you are affected by this… or just want to double check your Facebook Privacy check Readwrite.com article on doing a Facebook Privacy checkup.
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