Google has announced a change to its policy that will allow users in Europe to decide precisely how much they are willing to share their data. The new policy, which the company said is in response to the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA), allows users to opt out of data sharing on all, some or none of Google's services. Services listed include YouTube, Search, advertising services, Google Play, Chrome, Google Shopping, and Google Maps. However, the policy is not total: Google will still share user data when it is necessary to complete an operation (for example, if you are making a purchase on Google Shopping with Google Pay) in order to comply with the law, prevent fraud or protect yourself from abuse. This isn't the most significant change Google will have to make to comply with the DMA, which goes into effect on March 6. The law also provides additional rules on interoperability and competition. For example, Google will no longer be able to treat its own services more favorably in Search rankings compared to other third-party services.
The EU is not the only government that has raised concerns about the huge amounts of user data collected by Google. In the United States, the Justice Department is suing Google in what is likely the largest antitrust trial in the country since the case against Microsoft in the 1990s. In one of its arguments, the Justice Department argued that the large amount of user data collected by Google over the years has led to a mechanism to ensure that the company remains the world's leading search engine. However, the new changes introduced by Google due to the DMA will mean compromises for users who want to protect their data. The company noted that if a user decides to unlink Search, YouTube, and Chrome, it will affect personalized recommendations on YouTube. However, if Search and Maps are disconnected, Google Maps will no longer be able to suggest places (like restaurants, for example) based on previous activities. Google users will have to choose between their privacy and the convenience of having Google services connected to each other, but at least in Europe they will have the ability to be more precise in defining where to draw the line.
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