---
layout: default
title: "Google to Change Privacy Policy to Use Personal Info of Users"
description: "A Punjab Newsline report by Sheetal Ranga on Google's revised privacy policy, covering concerns from experts including Sunil Abraham on consumer data and privacy risks."
categories: [Media mentions]
date: 2012-01-27
authors: ["Sheetal Ranga"]
source: "Punjab Newsline"
permalink: /media/google-privacy-policy-punjab-newsline/
created: 2026-05-02
---

**Google to Change Privacy Policy to Use Personal Info of Users** is a *Punjab Newsline* article by Sheetal Ranga published on 27 January 2012. It reports on Google's revised privacy policy set to take effect from 1 March 2012, covering reactions from security analysts and web experts, and quotes [Sunil Abraham](/sunil/) on the implications for consumer privacy.

## Contents

1. [Article Details](#article-details)
2. [Full Text](#full-text)
3. [Context and Background](#context-and-background)

## Article Details

<dl class="media-details">
  <dt>📰 Published in:</dt>
  <dd><em>Punjab Newsline</em></dd>

  <dt>📅 Date:</dt>
  <dd>27 January 2012</dd>

  <dt>👤 Author:</dt>
  <dd>Sheetal Ranga</dd>

  <dt>📄 Type:</dt>
  <dd>News Report</dd>

  <dt>📰 Newspaper Link:</dt>
  <dd>Not available online</dd>
</dl>

## Full Text

<div class="highlighted-text" id="fulltext">

<p>It is a warning for users of Google and other Social Networking sites. Who are using these sites for searching anything they want to know and sharing their personal life with friends, colleagues and relatives. If you have ever used Google for searching any place, restaurant or shared information about your personal life with your friends on Google and other social networking sites, or you have watched adult stuff on YouTube, if your answer is yes, Google knows about it. And according to its new privacy policy Google is going to put this information to some use.</p>

<p>It is claimed by the web enormous that according to new privacy policy, better service will be provided to its users, including more relevant search results. And other side the web experts have expressed their concerns over potential misuse of data and defy of privacy. Google's new privacy policy will come into effect from 1 March 2012, said by Google.</p>

<p>Google provides service which will be shorter and easier to read and something that will enable it to create spontaneous experience across Google. Google had allowed users to choose personalized services; "unlike" this time there is no option to pick for the users.</p>

<p>The new policy of Google has made some people anxious over their privacy issues. The new policy is being adopted by Google, SafeGov monitors security issues for federal, state and local government is not happy with it.</p>

<p>A security analyst, Jeff ( SafeGov) said, "Google should not be data-mining information in e-mails, text messages, searches and documents that workers are putting into Google services. It's a matter of not making government workers unnecessarily exposed to hackers and to inadvertent disclosures of information."</p>

<p>The Vice President of Google, Amit Singh claims that Google's new privacy policy for consumer data is antiquated by data privacy provisions in contracts with government agencies and other organization that use the paid version of Google Apps. Google will maintain our endeavor customers' data in conformity with the confidentiality and security obligations provided to their domain, he said.</p>

<p>The new policy of Google has made some people edgy over their privacy issues. SafeGov monitors security issues for federal, state and local government agencies are very unhappy with the new policy of Google. It is also said by Sunil Abraham, director of Centre for Internet and Society that the new changes are not good for a consumer's privacy.</p>

<p>Director of privacy Alma Whitten has given some example of how this information will be used. "We can make search better - figuring out what you really mean when you type in Apple, Jaguar or Pink. We can provide more relevant ads too," she wrote. "We can provide reminders that you're going to be late for a meeting based on your location, your calendar and an understanding of what the traffic is like that day. Or ensure that our spelling suggestions, even for your friends' names, are accurate because you've typed them before."</p>

<p>Other side after the cross-checked the contract between Google and the city of Los Angele by Gould, claimed that he didn't think through the consequences for government users.</p>

</div>

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## Context and Background

In early 2012, Google announced a consolidated privacy policy that merged data collected across its services, including Search, Gmail, YouTube, and Maps, into a single unified profile per user. The change was notable because Google moved towards a more unified data-sharing framework across its services, reducing the degree of user separation between different products.

The policy drew criticism from privacy advocates and government watchdogs in several countries. In India, organisations such as the Centre for Internet and Society were among those flagging the risks to ordinary consumers, particularly around profiling and targeted advertising without meaningful user consent.

The article reflects the broader international debate that preceded the policy's enforcement date of 1 March 2012, with concerns raised across civil society, security researchers, and government agencies about the reach and transparency of large platform data practices.

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