Google to turn on activity tracking for many users who turned it off

#1

Post by twhb » Wed, Feb 02, 2022, 12:23 AM UTC

I received an email from Google yesterday that communicated, with much obfuscation, the following key points:

- The “Web & App Activity” setting for Google Workspace users will be ignored by Gmail, Drive, Docs, Calendar, Chat, Meet, Keep, and several other services.

- Tracking for these services will be controlled by a new user setting, “Google Workspace Search History”, which will default to on regardless of the user’s Web & App Activity setting.

- The ability of Google Workspace organizations to turn off “Web & App Activity” for all users will be removed.

- These changes will take effect on 2022-03-29.

Full email text: https://pastebin.com/raw/5ayJTDDp

More info from Google: https://support.google.com/a/answer/11194328

Re: Google to turn on activity tracking for many users who turned it off

#2

Post by slater » Wed, Feb 02, 2022, 12:53 AM UTC

That reads as "too many users were disabling our creepy shit, so we're re-enabling it!"

Re: Google to turn on activity tracking for many users who turned it off

#3

Post by josephg » Wed, Feb 02, 2022, 1:52 AM UTC

slater wrote: post #2

That reads as "too many users were disabling our creepy shit, so we're re-enabling it!"

YouTube recently did the same with autoplay. I hate autoplay with a passion, and watching the setting suddenly turn itself on again made me incoherently angry.

Re: Google to turn on activity tracking for many users who turned it off

#4

Post by MrWiffles » Wed, Feb 02, 2022, 2:19 AM UTC

The fact that they're doing this should tell you all you need to know about Google's sense of integrity - or rather, total lack thereof.

What ever happened to "Don't be evil"?

Re: Google to turn on activity tracking for many users who turned it off

#5

Post by reustle » Wed, Feb 02, 2022, 2:23 AM UTC

What is going on inside Google? Far worse search results recently, verbal ads during Maps navigation directions, and stuff like this. Do they see some writing on the wall (eu pressure?) and they’re squeezing as much as they can while it’s an option?

Re: Google to turn on activity tracking for many users who turned it off

#6

Post by indymike » Wed, Feb 02, 2022, 2:28 AM UTC

Dear Google: you are becoming less likable by the second. For a long time you were the champion of user experience and you forced a lot of sleazy products to change or go out of business. Recently, it's like you've systematically discovered every dark pattern your evangelists once scorned. Please, please flip the don't be evil bit back to on. Evil Google is not very likable.

Re: Google to turn on activity tracking for many users who turned it off

#7

Post by hydrogtehd » Wed, Feb 02, 2022, 2:30 AM UTC

josephg wrote: post #3

slater wrote: post #2

That reads as "too many users were disabling our creepy shit, so we're re-enabling it!"

YouTube recently did the same with autoplay. I hate autoplay with a passion, and watching the setting suddenly turn itself on again made me incoherently angry.

Auto play is the worst.

I also hate the turning on chimes

Not auto-muting when restarted/woken up

Blue led

Bright electronics.

It seems that everything is designed to scream at the user.

Re: Google to turn on activity tracking for many users who turned it off

#8

Post by lumost » Wed, Feb 02, 2022, 2:36 AM UTC

indymike wrote: post #6

Dear Google: you are becoming less likable by the second. For a long time you were the champion of user experience and you forced a lot of sleazy products to change or go out of business. Recently, it's like you've systematically discovered every dark pattern your evangelists once scorned. Please, please flip the don't be evil bit back to on. Evil Google is not very likable.

On the other side, DuckDuckGo is becoming pretty reasonable. I now only need to flip back to google for some hard to search technical topics. DDG also brings up a ton more of the old internet, you get way more variety in the search results.

Re: Google to turn on activity tracking for many users who turned it off

#9

Post by uslic001 » Wed, Feb 02, 2022, 2:37 AM UTC

So glad I switched to Duck Duck Go two months ago. Another reason to wean myself completely off Google products.

Re: Google to turn on activity tracking for many users who turned it off

#10

Post by indymike » Wed, Feb 02, 2022, 2:37 AM UTC

lumost wrote: post #8

indymike wrote: post #6

Dear Google: you are becoming less likable by the second. For a long time you were the champion of user experience and you forced a lot of sleazy products to change or go out of business. Recently, it's like you've systematically discovered every dark pattern your evangelists once scorned. Please, please flip the don't be evil bit back to on. Evil Google is not very likable.

On the other side, DuckDuckGo is becoming pretty reasonable. I now only need to flip back to google for some hard to search technical topics. DDG also brings up a ton more of the old internet, you get way more variety in the search results.

I've been using Brave search. It's actually a change for the better, too.