Does Google sell my personal information?
No. We do not sell your personal information.
Here is how we use data to show you better ads — and how you control what kinds of ads you see.
What we mean by “personal information.”
Your personal information is information you provide to us which personally identifies you, such as your name, email address, or billing information, or other information which can be reasonably linked to such information by Google. This is the stuff that matters most, and it is worth repeating here: We do not sell your personal information.
How ads work on Google
We do use information, such as your searches and location, to show you ads and make them more relevant to you. We do not share this information with advertisers in a way that personally identifies you, unless you have asked us to.
Search ads
When you do a search on Google, ads appear above and next to your search results, clearly marked as “Ads.” For many queries, a search ad is often the best answer. These ads on Google Search may be based on factors such as your search query, other searches you have done, and your location.
If, for example, you do a search for “bikes,” you might see ads for bikes on sale, places to go biking, and more. Later, if you search for “vacations,” you might see an ad for a destination where you can also go biking.
Ads in Gmail
When you are using Gmail, you might see ads at the top of your promotions inbox. The ads you see could be based on factors such as the messages in your inbox and the searches you have done.
For example, if you have recently received a lot of messages in your inbox about photography and cameras, then you may see an ad for a deal from a camera store.
The process by which ads are shown in Gmail is fully automated. Nobody reads your emails in order to show you ads.
Ads on YouTube
When you watch a video on YouTube, you may see an ad playing beforehand or on the video page. The ads you see on YouTube are based on the videos you have watched and other factors such as your current and recent YouTube searches.
For example, if you search for “video game reviews” or watch gaming videos, you might see an ad for the latest video game release. These ads help support the creators of the videos you watch.
You can skip many YouTube ads if you don't want to watch them.
How do I see ads based on my searches if Google does not sell my personal information?
Google provides a service to web publishers to help them fund their business through advertising. When you go to a publisher’s website, whether an international news site or your favorite food blog, you may see ads that look like they are related to a recent search.
For example, maybe you searched Google for “running shoes,” selected a search result, and visited the website to learn more, but did not buy shoes that day. Based on your visit to that site, the site owner can use a cookie on your browser to advertise to you on publishers’ websites, encouraging you to come back and buy the shoes.
You might also see ads based on the kinds of websites you have visited. For example, if you visit sites and blogs about running, biking, and football, as you browse the web you might see ads related to sports on publishers’ sites — whether they are sports sites or not. Keep in mind: Many ads you see on the Internet are not controlled by Google.
At no point does Google tell the advertiser who you are unless you have asked us to. You can use our Ads Settings tool to control ads based on your interests.
What information does Google share with advertisers?
We give advertisers information about their ads’ performance, but we do so without providing any information that personally identifies you. For example, we may tell an advertiser how many people viewed their ads or installed an app after seeing a certain ad. We may also give advertisers general demographic information, such as “25 to 34 years old, male, travel.”
Some of our ads let you share information to make it easier for you to purchase the products and services you were looking for. For example, when you use services such as Google Flights Search, we send your flight departure/return dates to booking engines so they can come back with the best rates for you.
As another example, when you see a “Call” button in an ad, we make it easy for you to call the advertiser. In these instances, the advertiser might know what number you are calling from.
Take control of your Google ads experience
We are committed to showing you ads that help you find the information you are looking for, and to giving you tools to control which ads you see.
Control ads based on your interests
We serve ads based on your interests. We infer your interests based on information such as your age, gender, and searches you have done or websites you have visited. With our Ads Settings tool, you can control ads based on your interests.
We want you to know that, even if you turn off interest-based ads, you may still see ads based on factors such as your browser type, location, and recent searches related to your current search.
Mute ads you don’t want to see
We give you the ability to Mute This Ad on many of the ads we show through our publisher partners. By selecting the “X” in the corner of the ad, you can remove ads you no longer find relevant.
For example, car ads might have been helpful while you were in the market for a new car, but once you are happily cruising in your new vehicle, you probably do not want to see more ads for that car you just bought. The next time you see such an ad for your car, just select the “X” in the corner of the ad and Google will not show it to you anymore.
