Google today launched an effort to show its users, again, that it cares about their privacy.
A My Account hub allows users of Google s many services to check and manage their privacy and security settings, control which sites and apps are connected to their accounts and adjust the types of ads they see. The company also has a new website, privacy.google.com, to explain its policies and what kind of information it collects about you.
Google s move comes on the heels of a Pew Research survey that showed Americans care about controlling access to their personal information, as I wrote recently. In fact, Google s announcement of the rollout cites the Pew survey, saying we want to change how people feel about having no control over their data.
Three years ago, Google said it would allow people to use its various services with one login. I wrote then that it was a controversial move that raised privacy concerns. But Google touted it as a way to bring its many products privacy policies under one umbrella, and as an answer to privacy advocates calls for simplification.
Facebook, another company that gets as much flak over privacy that Google does because it holds a lot of users personal information, has also introduced initiatives to try to assure users on privacy. Among its efforts: It rolled out a privacy checkup tool last year.
Above: Screenshot from Google s privacy website
