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Last week Google made a significant change to its privacy policy allowing for the use of your reviews and +1 recommendations on Google Plus and Google Play in paid advertisements. Beginning November 11, your reviews, name and picture can appear in ads on Google unless you opt out.
Let’s say that you go to a new pizza place in town, Polly’s Perfect Pizza, and enjoy the best pepperoni stromboli you’ve ever tasted. You want to share your discovery with the world so you go to their website and give them a +1 and post a positive review to Google Plus, making your review available to the public.
If Polly’s Perfect Pizza purchases an ad from Google, your review can appear in their ad, including your name and your face. Your glowing words of praise can be featured in their paid Google advertisement along with your photo and your name.
Here are examples of how Google can use your name, photo and recommendations:
That may be okay with you, you may not have a problem with your reviews appearing in Google ads. If so, you don’t need to do anything. The default privacy setting is to allow your Google Plus and Google Play reviews to appear in ads. (Note that a few people have reported that their default privacy setting was off for this feature.)
Opting Out
If you would prefer not to have your reviews appear in paid ads, you can opt of of this privacy setting. Go to the Google Endorsements page and uncheck the box. Click Save and you’re done.
Reviewing Your +1’s and Reviews
Not sure what you’ve endorsed? Go to your Google Plus profile and look at the menu bar at the top. Click on +1 and/or Reviews to see your history for Google Plus and Google Play.
What Else You Need to Know
If you allow your reviews to be included in ads, your sharing settings don’t change. If you post your review to the public, then anyone can see your review in an ad. If you posted your review to a circle, then only people in that circle will be able to see your review in the ad.
For example, if your review of Polly’s Perfect Pizza was shared only with your Pizza Pals Google Plus circle, then only people in your Pizza Pals circle would be able to see your review in Polly’s Perfect Pizza ad on Google.
If you allow Google to use your face and name in paid ads you do not get paid for your endorsement. Unless, of course, you’re a famous celebrity and your agent negotiates a paid endorsement for you. That’s different.
Reviews from users under age 18 are not included in ads.
While this news from Google may get you a bit riled, note that Facebook changed its policy to include your Likes in ads without giving you the ability to opt out.
See, Cult of Android, Why You Might Want Your Face in Google’s Ads
You can read more about this in Google’s Privacy Policy update.
Your Thoughts
Will you be opting out of Google’s ad recommendations? Do you want your name and face used in Google ads? Do you wish Facebook had an opt out option? Let us know in the Comments section below!
It was fairly easy to opt out which was nice. Not only did I read a few articles on it but Google had a notification that took me to policy changes and a link to make sure I’m not featured in ads. Way better than what it took to be able to opt out of Facebook ads went into effect. I find the whole idea of using user pics in ads for products invasive and absurd but have a feeling 10 years from now we will shrug our shoulders as it will have become a common part of terms of service & it will be bigger privacy invasion worrying us.
Hi Tasha, Excellent point, people’s view of their privacy has changed over time. If you had an offer to sell your information about everything you buy at a store, you probably wouldn’t even consider it. But that’s what we do when we sign up for a loyalty card at our local grocery store.
Some people may feel very proud to appear in ads for their favorite places so want to opt in. You’re right, it’s great that Google gives us a choice, but it’s important to know what your options are and make an informed choice.
Hi Carolyn,
Oh yes…I did get that notification from Google just like everyone else might have got but I kept it aside till the last because I just knew you’d explain it much better here 🙂
Hmm…so what should we ideally do? Opt out, which makes sense of course. But what happens if we don’t? Our name comes in the advt, which is good in a way, isn’t it? You gain more popularity or you don’t? Not sure about this. While I have nothing in my ‘review’ section on my G+ profile, and only posts I share with everyone in my +1 section, do I really have to do anything – opt out, don’t opt out, or just let it be? Not very sure so would wait for your suggestion on this one. 🙂
Thanks for sharing. Have a nice week ahead 🙂
Hi Harleena, You’re right, this is a very personal decision for everyone. Some people may want to appear in ads for their favorite places. After all, you may want to support your favorite businesses by letting the world to know how much you enjoy their products/services. Your endorsement only appears for places you have reviewed or given a +1 to on Google Plus or Google Play.
But there are those who will prefer to remain private and don’t want their names and faces to appear in ads. Either way, it’s important to check with Google to opt in or out according to what you want to do. You can always change your mind later if your choice doesn’t feel like a good fit.
Hello Carolyn,
I did see the Google change of TOS but i really did not have the time to read it. Seriously, this idea that Google brings is not a brilliant one.
Well, thanks for showing us how to disable the feature. i am disabling mine as well :).
Have a blessed week start…
Hi Babanature, I’m so glad this article helped you. Yes, if you don’t want this feature, it’s important to opt out before November 11. Opting out is literally two clicks so Google has made it easy for you.
Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your thoughts, Babanature! 🙂
I recently get mail about Google plus ads & some other update of Google. I think its good notify to all. Google Ads will certainly flourish in upcoming days.
Hi Osho Garg, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! You’re absolutely right, Google ads are very popular because pretty much everyone uses Google search and maps. Your decision about whether to opt out or opt in is an important one so make your decision carefully. If you change your mind later, you can always go back and change your sharing preferences.
Hi Carolyn !
This move can be considered a bad one by Google . I wonder whether Google will show profiles of Google+ users who had the bad reviews( like 1 out of 5 stars ) of their adwords advertisers ..if not then we can understand that Google is trying to improve the sales of their advertisers and increase its revenue . Anyways , I’m gonna disable it and thanks for sharing this update with us .
-Pramod
Hi Pramod, I was wondering the same thing. Will Google show your review in ads if you give a business one star and a poor review? Probably not because then their ads wouldn’t be as desirable to their advertising customers but we can’t be sure until this program is launched.
I’m glad you made your decision and acted on it, Pramod. Well done.
Eek!! Thanks for the tip Carolyn. Just clicked over and opted out! 😉
Hi Bren, That’s great that you took care of that already, Bren! Thanks so much for stopping by to let us know. :-bd
Well I had no idea Carolyn so thank you for sharing this. I mean I know they do the updates all the time and I am a little slow in getting around to reading them. I don’t really write reviews for a lot of places I visit to be honest with you.
I also don’t get out a lot anymore and usually go to the same old places and now that I think about it, shame on me. Some of those places are awesome and I don’t even let them know on their website. I’ve never looked them up to see if they’re even on Google+.
I guess since I deal more online with bloggers I totally forget about local businesses. Duh! But I can always count on you to remind me of things like this so thank you.
Have a great week Carolyn!
~Adrienne
Hi Adrienne, Great point. In your amazing blog you tell us that we buy from people we trust. So if we see that our friends have recommended a place then we’re probably more likely to do business with them. It doesn’t have to be a restaurant. Imagine you needed a carpet cleaner or a plumber. If you do a Google search and see that your neighbor has given that business a +1, then you’re more likely to contact that business.
This development could be helpful to both the businesses that are advertising on Google and also people who are searching for these businesses. But we need to make an informed decision about what we want our sharing options to be.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us here, Adrienne! 🙂
Thanks so much for this share, Carolyn – I’ve just been right over and unchecked the box – I object to this kind of thing on principle – it makes me very angry that my reviews could have appeared in paid ads without my even knowing about it if I hadn’t read this post. Google’s as bad as Facebook!
Many thanks – you’re a star for alerting us to this 🙂
Hi Sue, Thanks, I’m so glad this was helpful to you. Well, Facebook doesn’t let you opt out but not as many people see Facebook ads. Almost everyone searches on Google so sees Google ads.
I’m glad you took action and opted out, Sue. It only takes a few seconds to register your preferences.
This is the first time I’ve heard of this new feature. It reminds me a lot of Facebook ads. And, I understand why Google is doing it. Social proof. I won’t opt out, unless I see a reason for it. If I recommend something, I do it because I mean it 🙂
Hi Jens, That is great. How wonderful, if you give a business a +1 or review you stand behind your words and are willing to show the world your endorsement. That will help both businesses and potential customers. An endorsement from Jens Berget will mean a lot and this is the most valuable way that this feature is supposed to work. Well done.
I did opt-out, but I was thinking why I should (I was just following the crowd…).
Right now, I am thinking whether that was a mistake. I mean, it won’t hurt anyone, right? If I leave a review, it will only help my friends, right? (The review will be visible to those who have as in their circles, right?)
I still don’t get why some people are upset over this. Is it because Google didn’t ask permission before? (Well, we do have the option to opt out).
Hi Jeevan, Great questions! People have two views of this development: 1) They resent their name and picture being used in paid advertisements or 2) they are fine with their name and picture being used by businesses whose products/services they endorse.
The decision is purely yours. Google has made opting out (or in) very easy, just a click. This doesn’t start until November 11 so you can go back and check the box to see if that feels like a better fit for you. If you check the box you will be helping the business and your friends who are searching on Google trying to find information about that type of business.
If you were conducting a Google search and saw a business that was endorsed by your friends, you would probably be much more likely to check out that business. Good for you and good for that business.
You’re not alone in wondering whether or not to check the box, Jeevan. Do what you think is best for you and remember, you can change your mind later.
Thanks for clearing that up, Carolyn.
I think I am going to change my decision, I am going to allow Google to use my profile, at least for now 🙂
I’m glad that you made your decision and acted on it, Jeevan. Thanks for stopping back by to let us know! :-bd
This lastest move from Google irked me, and I immediately opted out. I saw just as you did: they’re not paying me, so why should I let them take inference that I endorse anything – so their billions can be trillions of bucks?!
but then, I didn’t even notice – that what Facebook did, without giving us the option to opt-out is far wrose. thanks, Carolyn for that reminder.
Hi Saul, Interesting point. We can certainly see this as a move to enrich Google. But as a business owner, do you see value in this? If you were to purchase an ad for #RiteTag on Google, would you want people who gave your business a +1 to appear in your ads? Would that make you more likely to purchase ads from Google?
Our privacy has certainly been eroded by the Internet. Is this a further invasion of our privacy or is opting out enough to protect us?
There are definitely two sides to this issue. Each person must do what’s right for them.
Hi Carolyn,
Thanks for this! Not only your post but the comments (people thinking aloud – I LOVED it – helped me to come to a decision. I’m not opting out, not right now anyway!
Good thing I can count on your to keep me up to date on this stuff! Like Adrienne, I’m not so good at reading all this stuff!
🙂
Lori
Hi Lori, Yes, you’re right this is a wonderful conversation. I truly appreciate getting such interesting input from people who are sharing their thoughts with us here.
There really are two sides to this issue and intelligent people have different opinions. This conversation illustrates well how there is no wrong answer, people need to choose for themselves.
Thank you for your kind words, Lori. I’m always delighted to share my tech info here. 🙂
Hi Carolyn – great review here! You really did a great job explaining it all and making it easy to understand 🙂 What I found unusual though is when I went to the Shared Endorsements page, my checkbox was already unchecked – not that I’m complaining – just found that weird. Thanks for sharing and have a great day!
Hi Tom, Yes, a few people have reported that their default was unchecked, not sure why. Either way, people should visit the Google Shared Endorsements page to see what they will be sharing and make the choice for themselves.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Tom. I’m so glad you enjoyed the article! :-bd
Thanks for the tip Carolyn. I already got email from Google regarding policy updates 🙂
Hi Rajesh, Great to hear you’re on top of this. I hope you’ve made your choice and acted upon it.
This is crazy, I think Google didn’t time this well. They just removed keyword data from their webmasters tool and now elect their user’s into T&Cs which allow them to utilize their image and name in ads they’ve engaged with.
Hi Trevor, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! The one constant of Google is change. Keeping up with Google can be a challenge which is why I share relevant Google updates here.
Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your thoughts with us, Trevor.
This is another extremely useful and helpful post, Carolyn. I thank you for the quick opt out tip (I’ve already done so as you made it so easy) on Google. While I’m happy to provide endorsements for companies that impress me, I do like to be asked. It will be interesting to see if companies decide to implement such tactics in their promotional activities. Somehow, I think the perceived deception will do a lot more harm than good.
Hi Nanette, Thanks so much for your kind words. I’m so glad this article was helpful to you. In fairness, Google did alert users to this change but I wanted to make sure that Wonder of Tech readers understood what was involved.
I’m glad you made your decision and opted out, Nanette. Each person has to make his or her own decision, but the most important thing is to act on your decision, which you’ve done. Good job! :-bd
thanks for this great post..very good to read it.
Hi Varun, So glad you enjoyed this. Thanks for sharing your thoughts here.
Hi Carolyn,
I don’t like Google Plus very much and like pizza even less, so I think I’m OK… It’s a good idea to opt out though if you do use Google plus, they will exploit anything for a quick buck.
I’ve been playing the stock market and trying to prepare a picture for printing as a 20 inch wide canvas. It has to be the right ratio of height and width and some of the picture goes around teh frame so I’m giving it a border for that. It also has to be at 400 dpi and high quality. In future I’ll set my camera for the picture, but I need this one by Christmas. If I get it right, I’ll write about it! 🙂
Hi Mike, Yes, if you don’t write reviews or give +1’s to sites, then you may not have to worry about what Google is doing with your endorsements. But just to be sure, you should check out whether Google has you in or out of the program and make your own choices.
Hi Carolyn,
I checked that section and guess what .. ? It was checked. I didn’t like that so I unchecked immediately. When I say I don’t like these type of things, I am very, very polite. No blog in the world would accept my real, honest opinion about things like that.
Thank you very much for telling me this. Another ugly thing those big companies think they can do just because they are … big.
Have a wonderful day
Hi Silviu, Thanks for keeping it clean here. Yes, most people, though not all, will find that their box is checked so their faces and names can appear in ads.
I’m glad you took care of that and unchecked the box, Silviu. Hey, at least Google gave you the opportunity to opt out.