Google’s shared endorsements policy is putting your reviews, recommendations and online activity in online advertising. When you +1 a page or song, leave a review, or endorse a business, your name, profile photo and review can be used in that company’s online advertising. This development is part of Google’s Terms of Service update.
Google’s new Terms of Service states:
- “If you have a Google Account, we may display your Profile name, Profile photo, and actions you take on Google or on third-party applications connected to your Google Account (such as +1’s, reviews you write and comments you post) in our Services, including displaying in ads and other commercial contexts. We will respect the choices you make to limit sharing or visibility settings in your Google Account. For example, you can choose your settings so your name and photo do not appear in an ad.”
Here’s an example of what shared endorsements look like online:
Google is positioning this as a positive for consumers. Their position is that shared endorsements makes it easy to get recommendations from friends when searching online. Google even reminds you that by opting out you won’t be able to share your recommendations with friends. If you’re still not convinced of the value of shared endorsements, you can opt out by unchecking the box on this page.
For detailed information on Google’s new shared endorsements policy, click here.