A short overview of the Terms of Service you agree to when using Google Search. Created to meet the requirements of the NET303 unit at Curtin University.

1. What are you really giving away?

2. Google Search is a search engine
owned by Google’s parent company
Alphabet.

3. Google Search is the most used
search engine for searching the
Internet. It is used for 65.2% of
all web searches equaling 3.5
billion searches each day (Internet
Live Stats, 2016).

4. BUT did you know?

5. By searching with Google you
AUTOMATICALLY AGREE to
Google’s Terms of Service (T.O.S).

6. By using Google Search you have
given Google permission to collect
your data across all Google
websites and affiliates.

7. Google’s parent company Alphabet
directly owns over 78
websites/apps including Google
Search, YouTube, Gmail, Chrome,
Play Store and Android (Murphy &
Rathi, 2015). Google also has
many other affiliate websites.

8. Google retain some data, including
your search history and IP
addresses, on their server logs
(Google, 2016). So deleting
cookies and other tracking means
from your device will not keep your
search history private.

9. You have agreed for Google to
collect and track your device
information such as “hardware
model, operating system version,
unique device identifiers, and
mobile network information
including phone number” (Google,
2016).

10. You have given Google permission
to link your mobile number, if
obtained, to your google accounts
– YouTube, Gmail etc.

11. Google obtain enough information
about you that they can link your
use across multiple devices,
building up a very comprehensive
picture of your overall internet use.

12. Google state that the purpose of all
this data collection is to provide a
better, more personalised services
to you, their customers.

13. However, large scale data collection
such as this is shown to benefit the
company collecting the data NOT
the end users (Peacock, 2014, p.
7).

14. Google use automated systems to
analyse your data. When searching
this can lead to your search results
being skewed or biased based on
identified interested and existing
views.

15. Google will use your information to
show a publicly visible Google
profile that includes your name and
photo. This is AUTOMATICALLY
CREATED on your behalf.

16. Google will replace past names you
have used on their services with
the one you are currently using, to
give you a consistent
representation across all their
services; even if you were
purposefully using a nickname for
privacy purposes.

17. Google does allow users to manage their
own activity controls through Google
Dashboard. This includes what
information links to your google account, so
you can keep some information more
private.

18. However, Google retain data
essentially forever, on backup
tapes (Foremski, 2010). So even if
you do delete your data, a copy
still might be on a backup in
storage.

19. Legal proceedings to date have
shown Google refusing to hand
over user data. Though, there is
no guarantee this will always
happen in the future.

20. If you upload ANYTHING to Google,
you have given them permission to
use this IN ANY WAY THEY WISH.
They can use it in their products or
advertising without seeking extra
permission from you.

21. When using search, this means
they can publish your search
queries. This may not seem
important, but consider the
following…

22. In 2006 AOL released one months
worth of user search queries.
Many individuals were identified
from their search queries.
Including searcher 4417749 who
was publicly identified as Thelma
Arnold from Lilburn, Ga. based on
the places and types of things she
searched for (Barbaro & Zeller,
2006).

23. Google Search allows you to
upload an image and search for
instances of that image online.
Doing this allows them to use your
image from that point onwards in
any way they see fit.

24. The collected data is used to
develop a profile that includes your
interests, preferences and online
activities (Privacy Rights
Clearinghouse, 2016).

25. Google use tracking cookies on
your device. These are used to
power their AdSense TARGETED
MARKETING.

26. Google shares your search queries
to advertisers so they can show
you adds related to your interests,
this is the reason why you
sometimes get eerily specific ads
(Learning, 2014).

27. AdSense is Google’s main income
source with Google making over
$19 million profit from this during
the last quarter (Nicas, 2016).
Income that is fueled by each
individuals search habits

28. If you want to see what
information Google has compiled
about you see your Ad Preferences.

29. If this has you worried about your
privacy you can change your
browser settings to block all
cookies. This will reduce the data
collected about you.

30. Google still allows you to use their
services without cookies, but
discourage you by stating that it
will stop many of their services
functioning properly. The services
will still run as expected, you will
no-longer receive personalised
content or targeted ads.

31. Google can change their T.O.S. at
any time without notice. Therefore
it is up to the end user to check
periodically for changes.
Furthermore, using their service
after a change constitutes
agreement to the new terms.

32. As Google resides in California,
Google’s practices are governed by
the laws of Santa Clara County,
California, U.S.A. NOT the laws in
the location of the end user.

33. In summary, it is up to YOU the
end user to be aware of what data
is collected about you and
proactively manage your own
privacy online.

34. References
Barbaro, M. and Zeller, T. (2006). A Face is Exposed for AOL Searcher No. 4417749. New York Times. Retrieved from
https://w2.eff.org/Privacy/AOL/exhibit_d.pdf
Foremski, T. (2010). Google Keeps Your Data Forever – Unlocking The Future Transparency of Your Past. Retrieved from
http://www.siliconvalleywatcher.com/mt/archives/2010/03/google_keeps_yo.php
Google. (2014, April 30). Google Privacy and Terms: Google Terms of Service. Retrieved from
https://www.google.com.au/intl/en/policies/terms/regional.html
Google. (2016, August 29). Google Privacy and Terms: Welcome to the Google Privacy Policy. Retrieved from
https://www.google.com.au/intl/en/policies/privacy/
Internet Live Stats. (2016). Google Search Statistics. Retrieved from http://www.internetlivestats.com/google-search-
statistics/
Learning, M. (2014, April 2). Sweeping Away a Search History. New York Times. Retrieved from
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/03/technology/personaltech/sweeping-away-a-search-history.html?_r=0
Murphy, M. and Rathi, A. (2015). All of Google’s – er, Alphabet’s – companies and products from A to Z. QUARTZ.
Retrieved from http://qz.com/476460/here-are-all-the-alphabet-formerly-google-companies-and-products-from-a-to-
z/
Nicas, J. (2016, July 28). Google Profits Surge on Strong Ad Demand. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from
http://www.wsj.com/articles/google-profits-surge-on-strong-ad-demand-1469736762
Peacock, S.E. (2014). How Web Tracking Changes User Agency in the Age of Big Data: The Used User. Big Data and
Society, 1(2): 1-11.
Privacy Rights Clearinghouse. (2016). Fact Sheet 18: Online Privacy: Using the Internet Safely. Updated January 2016.
Retrieved from https://w2.eff.org/Privacy/AOL/exhibit_d.pdf