Google uses data for analytics and ad measurement; its ad and analytics services may link your activity across sites
Google uses data for analytics and measurement to understand how its services are used, for example analyzing visits to its sites to optimize product design. It also uses data about the ads you interact with, including related Google Search activity, to help advertisers understand how their ad campaigns perform. It uses ad and analytics tools for this. When you visit sites or use apps that use Google's ad or analytics services, those services may link information about your activity there with your activity from other sites or apps that use Google services. Elsewhere Google gives an example that data from Google Analytics can be linked by the Analytics customer and by Google to cookies and other technologies related to visits to other sites and apps.
Supporting quotations
We use data for analytics and measurement to understand how our services are used.
we also use data about the ads you interact with, including your related Google Search activity, to help advertisers understand the performance of their ad campaigns
those services may link information about your activity from that site or app with activity from other sites or apps that use our services
data generated through Google Analytics can be linked by the Google Analytics customer and by Google to cookies and other technologies that are related to visits to other websites and apps
Qualifications & exceptions
"May link" describes what the services are able to do; the policy does not say here that every visit is linked.
Linking of activity to your Google Account personal information depends on account settings, as the cross-service paragraph says.
Linking & Identification · Company practice
Google may use information across its services and devices, and may tie other-site activity to your personal information
Google says it may use the information it collects across its services and across your devices for the purposes described above. Depending on your available settings, its example is that watching guitar-player videos on YouTube may lead to a guitar-lesson ad on a site that uses Google ad products. Depending on your account settings, your activity on other sites and apps may be associated with your personal information in order to improve Google's services and the ads delivered by Google.
Supporting quotations
We may use the information we collect across our services and across your devices for the purposes described above.
depending on your available settings, if you watch videos of guitar players on YouTube, you might see an ad for guitar lessons on a site that uses our ad products
Depending on your account settings, your activity on other sites and apps may be associated with your personal information in order to improve Google’s services and the ads delivered by Google.
Qualifications & exceptions
Cross-service use and association with personal information are limited by "depending on your available settings" and "depending on your account settings".
Not stated here
The policy does not list which settings turn this association on or off in this paragraph; the controls section describes Web & App Activity and its sub-setting.
Linking & Identification · User right or choice
A setting lets you manage information that sites and apps using Google services share with Google
Google points to a way to manage information that websites and apps using Google services, such as Google Analytics, may share with Google when you visit or interact with them. The controls themselves are on linked pages that are not supplied here.
Supporting quotations
Manage information that websites and apps using Google services, like Google Analytics, may share with Google when you visit or interact with their services.
Not stated here
The specific options and their effect are on a linked page that is not supplied.
Linking & Identification · Context
Key term: unique identifiers recognize a browser, app or device for security, syncing, preferences and advertising
The glossary defines a unique identifier as a string of characters that can uniquely identify a browser, app or device. Identifiers vary in how permanent they are, whether users can reset them and how they can be accessed. They can be used for security and fraud detection, syncing services such as your email inbox, remembering preferences and providing personalized advertising. On non-browser platforms they recognize a specific device or app; for example the Advertising ID provides relevant advertising on Android devices and can be managed in device settings. Manufacturer-built identifiers such as an IMEI number can also be used to customize a service to your device or analyze device issues.
Supporting quotations
A unique identifier is a string of characters that can be used to uniquely identify a browser, app, or device.
Different identifiers vary in how permanent they are, whether they can be reset by users, and how they can be accessed.
Unique identifiers can be used for various purposes, including security and fraud detection, syncing services such as your email inbox, remembering your preferences, and providing personalized advertising.
a unique identifier such as the Advertising ID is used to provide relevant advertising on Android devices, and can be managed in your device’s settings
Unique identifiers may also be incorporated into a device by its manufacturer
Qualifications & exceptions
You can configure your browser to refuse cookies or be told when one is sent, but that does not control device-level identifiers such as the Advertising ID, which are managed in device settings.
Linking & Identification · Company practice
Sites and apps that use Google services share information with Google regardless of browser or Incognito mode
Google explains that websites and apps that integrate Google services like ads and analytics share information with Google. It says this information is shared regardless of which browser or browser mode you use: although Incognito mode in Chrome can help keep your browsing private from other people who use your device, third-party sites and apps that integrate Google services still share information with Google when you visit them. It says you can learn about ways to control the information shared when you visit sites and apps that use Google services. Elsewhere Google adds that data from Google Analytics can be linked by the customer and by Google to cookies related to visits to other sites and apps.
Supporting quotations
Websites and apps that integrate Google services like ads and analytics share information with us.
This information is shared regardless of which browser or browser mode you use.
although Incognito mode in Chrome can help keep your browsing private from other people who use your device, third party sites and apps that integrate our services still share information with Google when you visit them
You can learn more about some of the ways you can control the information that is shared when you visit or interact with sites and apps that use Google services.
data generated through Google Analytics can be linked by the Google Analytics customer and by Google to cookies and other technologies that are related to visits to other websites and apps
Qualifications & exceptions
Incognito protects against other people who use the same device; it does not stop the sharing described here.
Google Analytics data can be linked by the customer and Google to cookies from visits to other sites and apps
As an example of ad and analytics services linking information, Google says a customer may want to use its Google Analytics data to create more relevant ads or analyze its traffic. Using Google's systems, data generated through Google Analytics can be linked by the Analytics customer and by Google to cookies and other technologies related to visits to other websites and apps.
Supporting quotations
a customer may want to use its Google Analytics data to create more relevant ads, or to further analyze its traffic
data generated through Google Analytics can be linked by the Google Analytics customer and by Google to cookies and other technologies that are related to visits to other websites and apps
Qualifications & exceptions
This example describes what linking is possible for an Analytics customer; the policy elsewhere says association with your personal information depends on account settings.
Linking & Identification · Context
Google says over 2 million non-Google websites and apps partner with it to show ads
Google states that there are over 2 million non-Google websites and apps that partner with Google to show ads. This indicates the scale of third-party sites and apps through which Google ad and analytics services operate.
Supporting quotations
There are over 2 million non-Google websites and apps that partner with Google to show ads.
Linking & Identification · Company practice
Depending on settings, Google draws on other products for search results, autocomplete, the Google app and Assistant
Google gives examples of using information across its services, depending on your available settings. When signed in and searching on Google, you can see public web results alongside relevant information from content in other Google products such as Gmail or Calendar, like flight status, restaurant and hotel reservations or photos. If you have emailed someone via Gmail and want to add them to a Google Doc or Calendar event, Google can autocomplete their email address as you type their name. The Google app can use data stored in other Google products to show personalized content, such as news articles and sports scores, if you have searches stored in Search Services History and Personalized Recommendations in Search services turned on. If you connect your Google Account to Google Home, you can manage your information and get things done through the Google Assistant, such as adding Calendar events or getting your schedule.
Supporting quotations
Depending on your available settings, some examples of how we use the information we collect across our services include:
When you’re signed in to your Google Account and search on Google, you can see search results from the public web, along with relevant information from the content you have in other Google products, like Gmail or Google Calendar.
If you have communicated with someone via Gmail and want to add them to a Google Doc or an event in Google Calendar, Google makes it easy to do so by autocompleting their email address when you start to type in their name.
if you have searches stored in your Search Services History and have turned on your Personalized Recommendations in Search services setting, the Google app can show you news articles and other information about your interests
If you connect your Google Account to your Google Home, you can manage your information and get things done through the Google Assistant.
Qualifications & exceptions
These examples are conditioned on "depending on your available settings" and, for the Google app example, on specific history and personalization settings being on.
Linking & Identification · User right or choice
For users in the EU, the choices you make about linking services affect how certain services can use data across Google
Google says that if you are a user in the EU, the decisions you make on linking services will affect how certain Google services can use data across its services. The policy does not describe the linking options here.
Supporting quotations
If you’re a user in the EU, the decisions you make on linking services will affect how certain Google services can use the data across our services.
Qualifications & exceptions
Applies to users in the EU; the policy's statements about cross-service use do not say here whether the same choices exist elsewhere.
Not stated here
The linking choices and which services are affected are not described in this entry.
Linking & Identification · Company practice
Partner sites and apps may share your activity with Google, which may tie it to your personal information
Google explains that activity on other sites and apps might come from your use of Google services, like syncing your account with Chrome or visiting sites and apps that partner with Google. Many websites and apps partner with Google to improve their content and services; for example a site might use Google's advertising services such as AdSense, analytics tools such as Google Analytics, or embed content such as YouTube videos. These services may share information about your activity with Google and, depending on your account settings and the products in use, for instance when a partner uses Google Analytics together with Google's advertising services, this data may be associated with your personal information.
Supporting quotations
This activity might come from your use of Google services, like from syncing your account with Chrome or your visits to sites and apps that partner with Google.
a website might use our advertising services (like AdSense) or analytics tools (like Google Analytics), or it might embed other content (such as videos from YouTube)
These services may share information about your activity with Google and, depending on your
this data may be associated with your personal information
Qualifications & exceptions
Association with your personal information depends on your account settings and the products in use.