AfterDawn: Tech news

Google users' names, photos to be used in ads

Written by James Delahunty @ 12 Oct 2013 4:16 User comments (10)

Google users' names, photos to be used in ads Google will start to use the names of some users, along with photos and comments in advertising.
The new ads will use personal information of some Google+ users, though there will be a way to opt out entirely and users under the age of 18 will be excluded automatically. It will be part of new "shared endorsement" ads that will resemble social ads used by Facebook.

If a user has publicly endorsed a product or service by clicking +1, or used rating or wrote reviews on products or services shared on other Google services, like the Play Store, then that information could be used too.

Even though Google+ users will be able to opt out, the changes to Google's terms of service policy has some privacy and digital rights activists speaking out.

"It's a huge privacy problem," said Marc Rotenberg, of privacy group EPIC, adding that Google users "shouldn't have to go back and restore their privacy defaults every time Google makes a change."

Rotenberg is suggesting that the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) review the policy change by Google, in case it violates a consent order Google entered into in 2011, barring it from retroactively changing the privacy settings of users.

Tags: Google
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10 user comments

112.10.2013 16:53

There was once upon a time companies had to pay people for using their likeness in an ad: now thanks to Google+ they found a way around paying people their dues by robbing users of their likeness with or without their consent then selling it to whomever wants it.

And what does the law have to say about it? ...

Nothing...

Sweet.

This message has been edited since its posting. Latest edit was made on 12 Oct 2013 @ 4:54

212.10.2013 21:11

Nothing new. You post on the web, it is stored somewhere. Google.... C'mon people, google owns you. You didn't think all those free services didn't come with a price?

When you get free service on the web, the service you use isn't the product; you are. If you don't like it, join websites that require payment and your privacy won't be used in a manner like this.

313.10.2013 17:30

Same happen on Twitter: The mass media use other people tweet's as front-lines....

418.10.2013 10:50

I'm not bothered; they won't use my picture because I'm not photogenic enough.

I guess the rest of you'll have to add some big text over your pics that reads "I DO NOT ENDORSE THIS PRODUCT" or "I HATE THIS THING" or "I GOT A RASH OFF THIS" etc etc.

I think many people will love the chance to be famous.

519.10.2013 00:30

No problem. I'll just change my gmail avatar to a picture of my sphinctah. lol

619.10.2013 05:11

Originally posted by MagengarZ:
No problem. I'll just change my gmail avatar to a picture of my sphinctah. lol
Nice.

720.10.2013 19:51

Actually there are laws at least in the US. Facebook was trying to do something REAL creepy. They want to have a service where a company would pay them to send fake messages to all your contacts where you would tell your contacts that your tried a product and loved it and they should try it.

That was going to start over a month ago but the FTC and yanked their chain again. They are looking at Google right now.

821.10.2013 12:21

Originally posted by Mez:
Actually there are laws at least in the US. Facebook was trying to do something REAL creepy. They want to have a service where a company would pay them to send fake messages to all your contacts where you would tell your contacts that your tried a product and loved it and they should try it.

That was going to start over a month ago but the FTC and yanked their chain again. They are looking at Google right now.
Yeah, that's completely out of order. I'm sure they wouldn't allow that in the UK.

922.10.2013 01:28

I remember hearing something like "If you think that you are a Google Customer and not a Google Product, just try calling their customer support and see how far you get."

About sums it up for me

1022.10.2013 20:07

Quote:
Yeah, that's completely out of order. I'm sure they wouldn't allow that in the UK.

The problem with both countries is if you grease enough palms you can get away with murder. The FTC did not drop kick Facebook like they did the last time they pulled a similar prank. I bet Facebook made the FTC ways and means committee very rich. That is how you get things done. You pay off the politicians that hold the purse strings of the agency you need to muzzle.

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