Google is about to make yet another privacy-threatening change, according to reports that the company is gearing up to use users’ names and photos to advertise its products and services.
As reported by the New York Times, Google is introducing an update to its terms of service that will classify users’ comments, follows, shares, and other social activity as “shared endorsements” for its own products and services. Shared endorsements can then be used as a premise for customers’ names and profile photos to appear in ads for the company, though it’s so far unclear what those ads will look like.
The changes only apply to adults, so users under the age of 18 will be excluded automatically. Moreover, there is an opt-out clause and users who previously chose not to share +1s with friends will be exempt from the changes. The updated terms of service will go into effect on Nov. 11, and the company has begun rolling out ads to its homepage in a bid to inform all users before then.
