Google is giving away even more personal data in exchange for profits

Google has improved its privacy practices significantly in recent years. Just look at the privacy improvements in Android or Google’s decision to store Google Maps … The post Google is giving away even more personal data in exchange for profits appeared first on BGR.

Feb 19, 2025 - 04:44

Google is giving away even more personal data in exchange for profits

Google has improved its privacy practices significantly in recent years. Just look at the privacy improvements in Android or Google's decision to store Google Maps location data on-device rather than in the cloud. It wasn't necessarily because Google wanted to deploy these features. Pressure from Apple and regulators, as well as lawsuits, played a big role in Google's pivot to privacy-first policies.

In theory, better user privacy would hurt Google's bottom line. Giving users the ability to limit some tracking means advertisers would not be able to target them with personalized ads, which would benefit Google's bottom line. But Google's financials have improved in the past few years rather than taking a privacy-related hit.

With that in mind, Google's decision to reverse a privacy-enhancing advertising rule is all the more surprising, as it feels like another big cash grab fueled by corporate greed.

Starting February 16th, advertisers can track users online using a technique called fingerprinting. Google banned fingerprinting in 2019 but reversed course last December. Regulators are already alarmed by Google's tracking decision, which can negatively impact users.

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Google is giving away even more personal data in exchange for profits originally appeared on BGR.com on Tue, 18 Feb 2025 at 21:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.