> ## Content Index
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> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Google's New Privacy Policy
- URL: https://www.philsimon.com/googles-new-privacy-policy/
- Published: 2012-01-25T14:40:30.000Z
- Updated: 2025-12-30T10:01:51.000Z
- Description: Be transparent—or else.
- Author: Phil Simon
- Tags: Platforms, Facebook/Meta, Frenemies, Google, The Age of the Platform

Google is acting more like a true platform every day.

Consider its [new privacy policy](https://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/01/25/145830858/googles-new-privacy-policy-will-allow-tracking-across-services?ref=philsimon.com). To make a long story short, information obtained by Google will be shared throughout its platform. There will be greater integration among planks. For instance, watching a YouTube video on Led Zeppelin might lead to more ads in Gmail related to the 1970s classic rock legends.

## Simon Says 

This isn't surprising. I've been saying for a while now that Google is a single platform with many planks; it is not a bunch of disparate products or services. It has learned from previous snafus about "discoveries" from all-too-eager citizen journalists.

Be transparent—or else.