Google launches My Account dashboard, gives users a simpler way to manage their privacy settings.
Google has rolled out a new "My Account" dashboard that aims to simplify privacy and security settings across its offerings. The internet giant has also launched a new site that explains questions about privacy and security.
The 'My account' dashboard has a new Privacy Checkup and Security Checkup feature that provides a step-by-step guide through the users most important privacy and security settings. Users will be able to see the break down of which of the internet giants various services are gathering information about them. They will also be able to limit Google from logging their activities on PC's and mobile devices as well as the kinds of ads they see, however the company states that this may result in slower and less relevant results in search. The company has also announced a new site at http://privacy.google.com which answers a variety of issues regarding privacy and user security in a simple question-and-answer format.
The new system is a part of the announcement that the internet giant had made at the Google I/O conference. Google had stated that the latest Android M will give users more control over the information they share with mobile apps. Until now, the privacy controls were spread across sections of Google's website with few explanations of the pros and cons of adjusting each setting.
"It wasn't well organized and we didn't give a lot of context," concedes Guemmy Kim, Google's product manager of account controls and settings. "We are trying to take the mystery out of privacy." Concerns about security and privacy have grown over the past few years after the Snowden revelations about NSA spying. Google has been facing criticism from regulators in the U.S. and Europe for a variety of privacy breaches and this is the first step by the company to address the security concerns. "We have had some privacy missteps, but we are always trying to learn from that and to serve our users better," Kim says.
Last year, Facebook which has also faced criticism about its privacy policy from users, government regulators as well as privacy advocates announced a shorter and simpler privacy policy for its users. Facebook had also launched a set of interactive guides called "Privacy Basics," which explains how users can control what they share on the site.
Source: Google
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Silky Malhotra
Silky Malhotra loves learning about new technology, gadgets, and more. When she isn’t writing, she is usually found reading, watching Netflix, gardening, travelling, or trying out new cuisines. View Full Profile
