Google Privacy Policy

DATED 2013-06-24 · VERSION 20130803_rev01 · COMPARED WITH 20130701_rev01 · ARCHIVE SNAPSHOT

Full text changes — 20130701_rev01 to 20130803_rev01

COLOUR MARKS THE SEVERITY OF A FLAGGED CLAUSE · + AND − MARK ADDED AND REMOVED

 - What information we collect and why we collect it.
 - How we use that information.
 - The choices we offer, including how to access and update information.
 We've tried to keep it as simple as possible, but if you're not familiar with terms like cookies, IP addresses, pixel tags and browsers, then read about these [key terms](https://www.google.com/policies/privacy/key-terms/) first. Your privacy matters to Google so whether you are new to Google or a long-time user, please do take the time to get to know our practices - and if you have any questions [contact us](http://support.google.com/bin/static.py).
+### Information we collect
+## Information we collect
 We collect information to provide better services to all of our users - from figuring out basic stuff like which language you speak, to more complex things like which ads you'll find most useful or the people who matter most to you online.
 We collect information in two ways:
 - **Information you give us.** For example, many of our services require you to sign up for a Google Account. When you do, we'll ask for [personal information](https://www.google.com/policies/privacy/key-terms/), like your name, email address, telephone number or credit card. If you want to take full advantage of the sharing features we offer, we might also ask you to create a publicly visible [Google Profile](http://support.google.com/accounts/bin/answer.py), which may include your name and photo.
     - **Local storage**
         We may collect and store information (including personal information) locally on your device using mechanisms such as browser web storage (including HTML 5) and application data caches.
     - **Cookies and anonymous identifiers**
+### How we use information we collect
+## How we use information we collect
 We use the information we collect from all of our services to provide, maintain, protect and improve them, to develop new ones, and to protect Google and our users. We also use this information to offer you tailored content - like giving you more relevant search results and ads.
 We may use the name you provide for your Google Profile across all of the services we offer that require a Google Account. In addition, we may replace past names associated with your Google Account so that you are represented consistently across all our services. If other users already have your email, or other information that identifies you, we may show them your publicly visible Google Profile information, such as your name and photo.
 When you contact Google, we may keep a record of your communication to help solve any issues you might be facing. We may use your email address to inform you about our services, such as letting you know about upcoming changes or improvements.
 We may combine personal information from one service with information, including personal information, from other Google services - for example to make it easier to share things with people you know. We will not combine DoubleClick cookie information with personally identifiable information unless we have your opt-in consent.
 We will ask for your consent before using information for a purpose other than those that are set out in this Privacy Policy.
 Google processes personal information on our servers in many countries around the world. We may process your personal information on a server located outside the country where you live.
+### Transparency and choice
+## Transparency and choice
 People have different privacy concerns. Our goal is to be clear about what information we collect, so that you can make meaningful choices about how it is used. For example, you can:
 - [Review and control](https://www.google.com/dashboard/) certain types of information tied to your Google Account by using Google Dashboard.
 - [View and edit](https://www.google.com/settings/ads/preferences) your ads preferences, such as which categories might interest you, using Ads Settings. You can also opt out of certain Google advertising services here.
 - [Use our editor](http://support.google.com/accounts/bin/answer.py) to see and adjust how your Google Profile appears to particular individuals.
 - [Control](http://support.google.com/plus/bin/static.py) who you share information with.
 - [Take information](http://www.dataliberation.org/) out of many of our services.
 You may also set your browser to block all cookies, including cookies associated with our services, or to indicate when a cookie is being set by us. However, it's important to remember that many of our services may not function properly if your cookies are disabled. For example, we may not remember your language preferences.
+### Information you share
+## Information you share
 Many of our services let you share information with others. Remember that when you share information publicly, it may be indexable by search engines, including Google. Our services provide you with different options on sharing and removing your content.
+### Accessing and updating your personal information
+## Accessing and updating your personal information
 Whenever you use our services, we aim to provide you with access to your personal information. If that information is wrong, we strive to give you ways to update it quickly or to delete it - unless we have to keep that information for legitimate business or legal purposes. When updating your personal information, we may ask you to verify your identity before we can act on your request.
 We may reject requests that are unreasonably repetitive, require disproportionate technical effort (for example, developing a new system or fundamentally changing an existing practice), risk the privacy of others, or would be extremely impractical (for instance, requests concerning information residing on backup tapes).
 Where we can provide information access and correction, we will do so for free, except where it would require a disproportionate effort. We aim to maintain our services in a manner that protects information from accidental or malicious destruction. Because of this, after you delete information from our services, we may not immediately delete residual copies from our active servers and may not remove information from our backup systems.
+### Information we share
+## Information we share
 We do not share personal information with companies, organizations and individuals outside of Google unless one of the following circumstances apply:
 - **With your consent**
     We will share personal information with companies, organizations or individuals outside of Google when we have your consent to do so. We require opt-in consent for the sharing of any [sensitive personal information](https://www.google.com/policies/privacy/key-terms/).
     - protect against harm to the rights, property or safety of Google, our users or the public as required or permitted by law.
 We may share aggregated, [non-personally identifiable information](https://www.google.com/policies/privacy/key-terms/) publicly and with our partners - like publishers, advertisers or connected sites. For example, we may share information publicly to show trends about the general use of our services.
 If Google is involved in a merger, acquisition or asset sale, we will continue to ensure the confidentiality of any personal information and give affected users notice before personal information is transferred or becomes subject to a different privacy policy.
+### Information security
+## Information security
 We work hard to protect Google and our users from unauthorized access to or unauthorized alteration, disclosure or destruction of information we hold. In particular:
 - We encrypt many of our services [using SSL](http://support.google.com/websearch/bin/answer.py).
 - We offer you [two step verification](http://support.google.com/accounts/bin/static.py) when you access your Google Account, and a [Safe Browsing feature](http://www.google.com/chrome/intl/en/more/security.html) in Google Chrome.
 - We review our information collection, storage and processing practices, including physical security measures, to guard against unauthorized access to systems.
 - We restrict access to personal information to Google employees, contractors and agents who need to know that information in order to process it for us, and who are subject to strict contractual confidentiality obligations and may be disciplined or terminated if they fail to meet these obligations.
+### Application
+## Application
 Our Privacy Policy applies to all of the services offered by Google Inc. and its affiliates, including services offered on other sites (such as our advertising services), but excludes services that have separate privacy policies that do not incorporate this Privacy Policy.
 Our Privacy Policy does not apply to services offered by other companies or individuals, including products or sites that may be displayed to you in search results, sites that may include Google services, or other sites linked from our services. Our Privacy Policy does not cover the information practices of other companies and organizations who advertise our services, and who may use cookies, pixel tags and other technologies to serve and offer relevant ads.
+### Enforcement
+## Enforcement
 We regularly review our compliance with our Privacy Policy. We also adhere to several [self regulatory frameworks](https://www.google.com/policies/privacy/frameworks/). When we receive formal written complaints, we will contact the person who made the complaint to follow up. We work with the appropriate regulatory authorities, including local data protection authorities, to resolve any complaints regarding the transfer of personal data that we cannot resolve with our users directly.
+### Changes
+## Changes
 Our Privacy Policy may change from time to time. We will not reduce your rights under this Privacy Policy without your explicit consent. We will post any privacy policy changes on this page and, if the changes are significant, we will provide a more prominent notice (including, for certain services, email notification of privacy policy changes). We will also keep prior versions of this Privacy Policy in an archive for your review.
+### Specific product practices
+## Specific product practices
 The following notices explain specific privacy practices with respect to certain Google products and services that you may use:
 - [Chrome and Chrome OS](http://www.google.com/chrome/intl/en/privacy.html)
 - [Books](http://books.google.com/intl/en/googlebooks/privacy.html)
 - [Wallet](http://wallet.google.com/files/privacy.html)