How to Keep Google from Putting Your Name and Picture in Their Ads

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Last updated by v.laurie on 25. November 2020 - 12:04

Google has just published some upcoming changes to its terms of service. If you are signed in with a Google account and you +1 some product, Google may now have the right to use your name and picture in certain ads for that product. Although there are limitations on which ads will include your personal information, I suspect many people (including me) will object to being used in any advertising. Here is how to change the setting.

Explanation of the setting and instructions are at this Google link. The actual settings page is here. Remove a check by the line at the bottom labeled “Based upon my activity, Google may show my name and profile photo in shared endorsements that appear in ads.” There is also a setting under Google+ on your Google accounts page. It is called “Shared Endorsements”.

Correction: Because of some things I had read,  I wrote earlier that this is an opt-out setting. That may be incorrect for some accounts and I apologize for any possible misunderstanding. It is definitely opt-out for Google+ accounts. Google has written to those accounts, "The changes to the Terms will be effective as of November 11, 2013. If you do not take any action, the Shared Endorsements setting will be turned on." 

Minors under the age of 18 are not affected.

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Comments

Do I have to have a Google+ account if I am only using Gmail and the Calendar? I noticed in the settings that I could delete my Google+ account (which I have not used - it is a Facebook variant and I don't use Facebook). I 'assume' that I do not have to have Google+, but I did not want to go deleting the account if it would also delete my email and calendar (which is tied to my phone).

It looks like anytime you are logged in to any Google account, Gmail or otherwise, your +1 endorsements can be used unless you follow the opt-out procedure given in the tip. Be sure to check the settings in your account on November 11.

"It is definitely opt-out for Google+ accounts." Now I am puzzled. The shared endorsements is only for Google+ accounts is it not? Since the endorsements only result once you +1 something and that can occur only if you have set up Google+ account.

The "shared endorsements" page that is linked above says " If you are not already a Google+ user, you will be asked to upgrade your account." If you click on the link that sends you to https://plus.google.com/settings/endorsements you are asked to upgrade your Google account to a Google+ one. In other words these changes to the ToS apply to people who already have Google+ accounts or those who create Google+ account. No Google+ account then there can not be shared endorsements, at least for now that is.

One way or the other, I think everyone with any Google account should check their account settings after Nov. 11 to make sure what it is they are agreeing to.

Yes I agree go back and check on or after Nov 11th just to make sure that this setting has not mysteriously changed its state.

This is why I use DuckDuckGo for search.

If Google plans to use my image for Enzyte ads they will have to pay for dental work and hire a tutor who can provide whistling lessons.

Google is sneaky as hell and I no longer trust anything the young programmers are doing to us. They have lost me for any offers.

thanks for the news. when I went to the link above it was already un-checked. guess that means I'm safe?

Leave it unchecked. You should take another look after Nov 11.
Thanks for sharing that Vic. One another thing I do when searching on Google is to be logged out, in order to stop it from associating that search results, or queries with me specifically. Same with YouTube.
yes I do that ( log out of google to do searches )plus I have my web history turned off I'd love to not have to do this but google is soooo sneaky, I do use Startpage and DuckDuckgo but sometimes I still need to Google stuff . I have a Google account because I use the Google Playstore and You-tube. Google are SO SNEAKY but it's hard to avoid them I don't even know how I ended up with a gmail address/ account?? I got it when I bought my android phone and started using google play store I realised my yahoo email address had be changed to gmail (in my Google account settings)so I went into my google account settings on the PC and THERE IS NO WAY TO DELETE IT , I emailed google and they said I'd have to close my google account to get rid of it I told them I'm not going to use it which I don't but that means I don't get emails from You-tube or Playstore because I can't get them emails to come into my proper email yahoo address disgusting behavior I don't want them making money from ads from me via these recommendations .