Google recently announced the drastic changes it would be making to its privacy policy amid the distraction of the tech world caused by Apple’s (News - Alert) earnings report.

The company, which previously had been put head-to-head with websites such as Facebook for privacy considerations, will enact these changes on March 1. Google (News - Alert) will now share all of your personal information across any Google service that you may use, as long as you are signed into your Google account.

Google’s original privacy policy was far more complex. The company had 60 individual privacy policies that applied differently to its many services. Google has streamlined its policy:

• Google can now keep track of what you have been doing on Gmail, YouTube (News - Alert), and Google+ in an attempt to better suggest search results and target you with more specific and relevant advertising.
• Your Google Profile information (including your name and photo) can, and probably will, be taken and used on all other Google services that you use. 
• Google will also use information from your mobile device, including your phone number, and connect it with your Google account.

Google has stated that the policy changes reflect both a need to update and improve the services it provides for Google users and streamline and simplify its privacy policy so users can easily understand it. Here is an excerpt from the full policy:

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. 

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