If you live in a European Union region, you will soon benefit from another privacy improvement. Google just announced a new control for users within the EU that allows them to manage links between Google services. Links refers to data that services may exchange between each other.
Google links many of its services by default, which gives it and its services access to user data across its services. This changes soon in the EU.
A search on Google Search may result in recommendations showing on YouTube or Google Play, and Google Ad services may use the information as well.
Google describes the functionality in the following way:
When linked, these services can share your data with each other and with all other Google services for certain purposes. All types of data described in Google’s Privacy Policy can be shared across linked Google services. This includes your activity data when you’re signed in, such as things you search for and the videos you watch and listen to.
Google says that the feature is a response to the Digital Markets Act of the EU. The new functionality is only available to users who live in the European Union.
Note: the functionality is rolling out currently. You may not see the “Linked Google Services” option yet, or only on some devices.
Note 2: The default seems to be that services are no longer linked. This means that they won’t share any data anymore from March 6, 2024 onward. It is still a good idea to verify this.
Manage your linked Google services
Google users may control the data sharing of the following Google services under the new system:
- Search
- YouTube
- Ad services
- Google Play
- Chrome
- Google Shopping
- Google Maps
Here are step by step instructions to manage these.
First, for desktop users:
- Open the Google Account website in your browser of choice.
- Select Data & privacy on the page that opens.
- Scroll down to “Linked Google Services” and select Manage linked services.
- Select or deselect services. Any service that is selected will be linked when you select Next.
- Review the selections made and select Confirm > Done > Got it.
For Android users:
- Open the Settings on the Android device.
- Select Google > Manage your Google Account > Data & privacy.
- If this is not available, open the Google app instead, tap on the account icon, select Google Account and then Data & privacy.
- Under “Linked Google Services”, select Manage linked services.
- Select or deselect services. Any service that is selected will be linked when you select Next.
- Review the selections made and select Confirm > Done > Got it.
On iPhone and iPad:
- Open the Gmail application on the device. If you don’t use Gmail, load http://myaccount.google.com/linked-services instead.
- Select Menu > Settings > Your account > Manage your Google Account.
- Under “Linked Google Services”, select Manage linked services.
- Select or deselect services. Any service that is selected will be linked when you select Next.
- Review the selections made and select Confirm > Done > Got it.