Streamlining and simplifying seem like such good things on paper. Strangely, though, when Google is the one doing the simplifying, and the subject of the process is its privacy policy, most observers get hot under the collar. Why is it so bad when Google does it?
Just in case you didn't check Google yesterday, the search giant started posting a note under its search box explaining that it will be updating both its privacy policy and its terms of service, with the new terms going into effect on the first of March. If you can't be bothered to read the entire policy previews to which I've linked, no problem; Google also provides a policy overview to help you understand why the company is making these changes and how they'll affect users of the search giant's various services.
So why exactly is Google doing this? Well, if you had more than 70 different privacy policies that applied to your tremendous array of products and services, as the search company explains in its blog post, you'd probably feel as if you had too much legalese to deal with, too. And if Google finds all of these different policies complicated – and that's AFTER they trimmed back on their policies in 2010, by the way – surely their users find the situation a little bewildering as well.
Google retained separate privacy policies for Google Chrome Browser and Chrome OS, Google Books, and Google Wallet, but more than 60 will be covered by just one policy. The company says that this will assist it in its “efforts to integrate our different products more closely so that we can create a beautifully simple, intuitive user experience across Google.” Google notes that this approach “is now fairly standard across the web,” and in line with regulatory calls for shorter, simpler privacy policies.
Basically, the new policy will allow all of the information that Google collects about you to be shared between its services. It's important to note that Google won't be collecting any MORE information about its users than it already does; it just won't be kept in separate silos any longer. Combining information in this way could allow Google to make more intelligent guesses when you use their services.
For instance, if Google notices from your YouTube viewing or sharing that you're more interested in jaguars (the animal) than Jaguars (the car), when you put the word “jaguar” into its search engine, it will return results relevant to the animal and not the auto. Or if you use Gmail, Google may remember the way your friends spell their names, and make corrections accordingly. As an example of what might eventually be possible in an environment where information gets shared between services, Google notes in its blog entry that “We can provide reminders that you're going to be late for a meeting based on your location, your calendar and an understanding of what the traffic is like that day.”
Google Optimization 
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