Provision record
Google · Google Privacy Policy · View original document ↗

Cross-Service and Cross-Device Data Linking for Advertising and Personalization

Medium severity Unique · 0 of 352 platforms
Stay ahead of the changes
Track Google and get the diff the day its terms change.
Share 𝕏 Share in Share 🔒 PDF
Document Record

What it is

The policy authorizes Google to link information collected across its services and across user devices, including activity on third-party sites and apps that use Google services, and to associate that activity with a user's personal information for advertising and service improvement purposes, subject to account settings.

This analysis describes what Google's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology

ConductAtlas Analysis

Why it matters (compliance & governance perspective)

This provision establishes the operational basis for Google's cross-context behavioral advertising system, which spans YouTube, Search, third-party publisher sites, and other Google-affiliated surfaces; the scope of data association is contingent on account settings but extends to third-party site activity by default where Google's ad or analytics services are integrated.

What you can do

⚠️ These actions may provide transparency or partial mitigation but may not fully address the underlying issue. Effectiveness varies by jurisdiction and individual circumstances.
  • Opt Out of Arbitration
    Visit My Ad Center at myadcenter.google.com, sign in to your Google Account, and adjust personalization settings to control which information is used for ad targeting across Google services and partner sites.

If You Do Nothing

Cross-service and cross-device activity data will be associated and used for advertising personalization as described in the policy

Cross-platform context

See how other platforms handle Cross-Service and Cross-Device Data Linking for Advertising and Personalization and similar clauses.

Compare across platforms →
▸ View Original Clause Language DOCUMENT RECORD
"
We may use the information we collect across our services and across your devices for the purposes described above. For example, 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.

Excerpt from Google's Privacy Policy

ConductAtlas Analysis

Institutional analysis (regulatory & governance intelligence)

1.

Insight

Unlock the full institutional analysis

Enforcement risk, jurisdiction flags, contract triggers, and due diligence action items.

Applicable agencies

  • Federal Trade Commission (ftc)
    Oversees unfair or deceptive business practices and can investigate companies that mislead consumers about data collection, sharing, or use.
    Who can file: Anyone affected by the company's practices (US or international)
    What you need: Your account details, a timeline of relevant events, and a description of the specific issue
    What to expect: Complaints inform FTC enforcement priorities and investigations but do not result in individual resolution or compensation
    File a complaint →

Provision details

Document information
Document
Google Privacy Policy
Entity
Google
Document last updated
May 5, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
July 14, 2026
Last verified
July 14, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-00015000
Document ID
CA-D-00015
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
Content hash (SHA-256)
022a0487aa499eb96879386d01e359418ed18d3199d5d4bb926819d6e476c733
Analysis generated
July 14, 2026 01:45 UTC
Methodology
Evidence
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Hash verified
Citation Record
Entity: Google
Document: Google Privacy Policy
Record ID: CA-P-00015000
Captured: 2026-07-14 01:45:21 UTC
SHA-256: 022a0487aa499eb9…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/google/google-privacy-policy/cross-service-and-cross-device-data-linking-for-advertising-and-personalization/
Accessed: Sept. 8, 2026
Permanent archival reference. Stable identifier suitable for legal filings, compliance documentation, and research citation.
Classification
Severity
Medium
Categories

Other risks in this policy

Get the research letter

Companies change their terms quietly. We read every version and catch what actually changed. One email a week on the changes that matter and what they mean.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Google's Cross-Service and Cross-Device Data Linking for Advertising and Personalization clause do?

This provision establishes the operational basis for Google's cross-context behavioral advertising system, which spans YouTube, Search, third-party publisher sites, and other Google-affiliated surfaces; the scope of data association is contingent on account settings but extends to third-party site activity by default where Google's ad or analytics services are integrated.

Is ConductAtlas affiliated with Google?

No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Google.