Google said it talked to regulators about the upcoming privacy changes, which it will apply worldwide. An FTC spokeswoman declined to comment on the changes or say whether the agency was consulted.
Some critics saw Google as trying to beat regulators to the punch by setting a precedent before the FTC unveils its own framework for protecting online privacy.
Jeff Chester, executive director of the privacy group Center for Digital Democracy, said Google hopes “that by creating a one-stop shop for privacy policy, it will deflect regulatory action.”
Google, Facebook, and other popular internet services all want to learn as much as possible about their users so they can sell more advertising at higher rates to marketers looking to target people interested in specific products, such as golf clubs or skinny jeans.
Google says users who opt to see personalized ads are 37 percent more likely to respond to an ad than people who opt out of targeting.
Ryan Calo, director for privacy at the Stanford Center for Internet and Society, said Google is trying to make its policy privacy transparent instead of bogging users down with pages of legalese; the new privacy policies run about 10,000 words, down from 68,000.
But he said the company must ensure that the ways it uses data help users without revealing sensitive information.
“If it creeps people out, then they need to be aware of that,” he said.
Common Sense Media CEO James Steyer issued a statement calling Google’s new privacy announcement “frustrating and a little frightening.”
“Even if the company believes that tracking users across all platforms improves [its] services, consumers should still have the option to opt out—especially the kids and teens who are avid users of YouTube, Gmail, and Google Search,” Steyer said. “Indeed, the industry standard should be ‘opt in,’ so that we can protect our privacy as we see fit. Unfortunately, if Google users really care about online privacy, it looks like their only option is to move to Europe.”
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