Internet search giant Google is assuring its customers that it is continuing to prioritize privacy, amid growing customer concerns.
The Silicon Valley firm said “privacy is a priority at Google, and it’s something we’ve cared about since the beginning.”
It added that “increasingly, we know people have become more curious and careful about who has access to their data, and how it is being used.”
Citing its own data, the online giant said searches for “online privacy” grew more than 50% year over year globally in 2020.
Google said in light with this phenomenon, the company will continue to focus on privacy on its slew of products.
One area that Google wants to address are personalized ads that many customers see as a concern because these targeted ads might intrude on an individual’s privacy. Personalized ads are often based on software tracking algorithms that could detect and determine an individual’s behavior online.
These “data” can then be used to send an individual targeted ad that could appeal to his or her preferences. Often, these personalized ads are said to be “unwanted.”
Greg Fair, product manager for privacy data protection at Google, added that “81% of consumers are now more concerned on how companies use customer data.”
This concern on customer data is one of the focus points of Google products, and that as much as possible, the company is aiming to give consumers more control over data.
Fair emphasized that Google does not use religion, sex, etc. for personalized ads, and that Google will instead focus on “more innovations” and “more focus on privacy.”
Fair said a recurring and very common questions that customers may have is; “Is Google listening to you while speaking?” “Is somebody reading my emails?”
The executive said there is no one in Google who is reading or scanning emails and that Google products — such as Google Drive, Gmail, and Photos, among others, are “designed safely store personal content and that this content is never used to show ads.”
Fair emphasized that Google “never uses sensitive information to personalize ads.”
The executive further allayed fears that personal information is also being “sold.”
Fair said Google would like to emphasize that the company will not sell personal information, and it will also not use sensitive information to personalize ads.
“We work on the customer’s behalf to protect your privacy,” Fair said, adding that it is Google’s responsibility to keep customers’ personal information “safe, secure and private.”
