
Google can use your name and photo alongside online ads - lelf
http://thenextweb.com/google/2013/10/11/google-reveals-plans-use-name-photo-alongside-shared-endorsements-ads-web/?fromcat=apple
======
tobyjsullivan
I seriously do not understand what the issue is. Why would you +1 something if
not to have Google tell your friends and followers you +1'd it? Why would you
comment on something if you don't want Google telling your followers you
commented on it?

Where is the issue?

And, for what it's worth, Google claims to be "clarifying" this part of the
terms of service, not changing it. I haven't verified what that means though.

~~~
r00fus
As soon as I see or hear about poeople's +1's becoming ads is when I stop
using +1 on anything.

Right now it's a subtle "thankyou" for the content creator and to say "I think
this is meaningful". If I wanted to "shout out", I'd also take the step to
post this in my Public circle.

If Google thinks a simple +1 is some wholehearted endorsement of that content,
I'll simply stop using +1s. I'm sure I'm not the only one here.

~~~
psbp
In what instance would there be an ad created for a content creator that would
confuse these purposes?

~~~
jezebel6
when your picture is used to advertise nsfw content

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RexRollman
I don't understand why companies won't realize how creepy this is.

~~~
psbp
How is it creepy? You see an ad and also see that one of your friends
voluntarily liked it. Won't this be a bit helpful if you're going to see an ad
anyway?

~~~
RodericDay
I'm personally more creeped out by all the people defending it. I hope they
work at Google at least, it would make some sense.

~~~
vetinari
They are defending it, because they read TFA and understood, that basically
nothing changed.

If you wrote a review or +1ed something, you published it (whether for all, or
for some circle). Now this review will show for exactly the same audience
alongside the ads for the same product/page/whatever.

This is just a knee-jerk reaction by people who didn't bother to read what it
is about, just went straight into "bad Google" mode.

~~~
Helianthus
This might be a minor degree of "bad Google," but it still is firmly in the
realm of "bad Google."

If you're arguing that this is a tiny sliver in the greater scheme of things,
I'll agree with you. If you think this sliver doesn't reflect the larger
direction Google is taking (and everything that comes with it), I would
disagree.

------
Pxtl
As if consumers didn't have _enough_ reasons to avoid Google Plus.

~~~
grbalaffa
Good luck with "avoiding" it. It's getting harder and harder to use Google
without using Google+ (clearly intentional), and it's nearly equally hard to
use the internet without using Google.

~~~
cliffu
What do I need Google for? DDG works ok for discovery, subreddits and HN
aggregate news, and SO handles all of my programming questions.

------
lettergram
This seems no worse that than Facebook's advertisements (slightly less freaky
in fact). All it shows is that you endorsed something, who cares? They already
have your data all they are doing now is saying "oh hey your friend +1'd this"

~~~
ape4
Both Facebook and Google doing this is horrible. Whatever happened to: don't
be evil.

~~~
gdilla
FB never said that. And google stopped saying that a while ago.

~~~
ape4
[http://www.google.com/about/company/philosophy/](http://www.google.com/about/company/philosophy/)
"You can make money without doing evil."

------
alecsmart1
It's really wrong to have these options opt-out. They should be opt-in. I know
so many people who use Google services on a daily basis and are not techno-
savvy. They will never know about it.

~~~
HNaTTY
If this is the opt-in/out checkbox, mine was already set to not allow them to
use my name/profile photo:
[https://plus.google.com/settings/endorsements?hl=en](https://plus.google.com/settings/endorsements?hl=en)

~~~
bluecalm
Hopefully they won't put "opt-in" button in gmail in exact same position where
log-out used to be (as they did with G+ recently)

------
plg
there is an opt-out

[https://plus.google.com/u/0/settings/endorsements](https://plus.google.com/u/0/settings/endorsements)

ps when I checked my settings were automatically "opted out" so unlike
FaceBoob they are not opting people in by default and forcing them to
proactively opt out

yay google

~~~
evan_
When I went there the "Based upon my activity, Google may show my name and
profile photo in shared endorsements that appear in ads." box was checked.

~~~
quantumpotato_
Box was unchecked for me. Have you been +1ing?

------
klenwell
If you received a cut of any revenue for an ad that you appeared in (sort of
like AdSense), is this something you would opt into? I'm assuming this isn't
part of the deal. But that would make it more interesting.

Edit: Oh, it's opt-out? Poor choice, Google.

~~~
calbear81
I would be interested in opting in to share more data if I get a cut of
revenue.

------
jaredsohn
I see no problem with this at all if you make an actual review.

One problem with +1 (and Facebook's Like) is that as a user you aren't
necessarily doing that to endorse; you might just want to subscribe in an RSS-
like sense.

~~~
tobyjsullivan
That's like buying McDonald's to test your credit card still works, then
complaining your car trunk is full of uneaten happy meals.

If you're going to misuse a product to get some unique result you desire,
expect the company that built it to continue with their original vision of the
product's purpose.

------
mythz
You can opt-out and it sounds like they're only using it on Content you've
+1'ed.

I only +1 content I like, and if my endorsement can somehow bring revenue to
the content creator, I'm personally fine with it.

------
wtvanhest
Instead of continuing to attempt to make products better and appeal to more
people and in a more meaningful way, they are trying to squeeze some profit
out of a barely used platform. [1]Google+ didn't take off, at all. It never
will if they fully monetize it before lockin.

I would be smiling so hard right now if I were at Facebook.

[1] [http://mashable.com/2013/05/10/google-has-20-million-u-s-
mon...](http://mashable.com/2013/05/10/google-has-20-million-u-s-monthly-
mobile-users-report-says/)

------
marincounty
I use DuckDuckGo for most of my work. I only need Google 10% of the time. You
will get used to using less, and less of Google. Google and Facebook need a
wakup call.

------
dropawaywaytogo
So now they're on par with Facebook and Twitter in that regard.

------
msoad
Legal question: Google sent a notification instead of email for this change.
Is it acceptable legally to send notifications for this kind of legal change?

------
miguelrochefort
What's wrong with you guys? Why do you keep complaining "in the name of
privacy". There's nothing wrong with that, nothing creepy about it.

You all assume that it's bad, it's "evil", but give me a rational argument
against it. Just one. You can't find one because hating on such poor basis is
irrational and foolish.

Just grow up and embrace the future.

EDIT: man up -> grow up

~~~
cliffu
Nice; a classic "if you've got nothing to hide" with a bonus gender role
shaming.

> You can't find one because hating on such poor basis is irrational and
> foolish.

+1'd a gay rights group, have fundamentalist parents.

~~~
miguelrochefort
It's not about having nothing to hide. It's about fighting for what is right.
Homosexuality would probably not be so tolerated today if it was easy to hide.

You have to realize that you can't please everyone. And you certainly can't
expect to live your whole life anonymously. You have to make decisions, and
you have to accept that someone, somewhere, is going to be unhappy about it.

What if you were/are gay? Would you hide it from your parent all your life?
Probably not (I hope). Why do you expect something different with the causes
you support?

Does anyone blame Facebook for making Likes public? Probably some, but they're
the tinfoil hat kind. Your support has no real weight unless your identity is
known.

Should we ask Google to lower their standards, to match a culture of privacy
that is both unsustainable and dying?

My suggestion, don't +1 anything until you're ready to accept the
benefits/consequences. Doing otherwise is unresponsible.

~~~
tensor
Somehow for many years we've lived as a society with anonymous reviews
counting for something. We've lived without each individual broadcasting
everything we buy and use to the world.

Your view is the minority here. Why don't you go ask a random sampling of
people if they want their choices in underwear broadcast to the world?

It's time you looked beyond yourself and realized that people don't have the
same preferences regarding privacy as you, nor should they.

~~~
fphhotchips
_Why are you +1ing underwear?_

I've been able to see if somebody +1'd a search result for _ages_ now, and
quite frankly I don't want to know if somebody in my circles wears Bonds.

------
marincounty
True story. Google mail went into my camera folder on my Ipad and put up a
picture of me. I know it sounds impossible, or I made a mistake. I honestly
didn't. Am I the only one?

