ProPublica slams Google for opt-in targeting changes that happened in June

He said. She said. ProPublica is taking Google to task for privacy policy changes that combine web browsing data and user profiles for greater ads personalization. The changes were originally introduced in June, at which time we reported on them. My article then focused on the opt-in dimension of ads personalization: In parallel with My Activity, Google is introducing “Ads Personalization.” This is an evolution of the older “Ads Preferences Manager” and newer “ad settings” manager, which allows people to influence the types of ads they see by indicating areas of interest or disinterest or by entirely opting out. The new Ads Personalization functionality is turned off by default and must be activated by consumers. Google will expose users to the new personalization option and invite them to turn it on. The company promises better and more relevant ads from opting-in. Google hopes Ads Personalization will not only improve the ad experience but give users a better sense of control over the ads they see — across devices. These changes have, in part, helped Google beef up audience targeting features and cross-device retargeting. ProPublica characterizes the changes as more sinister