Googling yourself will soon bring surprise
WHAT’S the first thing you would do if you wanted to know what information was in your Google account? According to Google, the answer for most people is to do a simple Google search for their own name.
That’s right. Vanity searches are the go-to tool when trying to find out what data Google has on you, said Guemmy Kim, Google’s product manager for account controls and settings.
Google has announced that a card linking to your account settings will show up when you search for your own name, making it easier to find and manage your data. Users can also search for “I lost my phone” to see a card that takes you directly to its new tool designed to help you find your phone.
The new features are among a handful of modifications Google offers on its “My Account” page. The company introduced the page last year to try to make privacy and security settings more accessible, user-friendly and welldesigned — three adjectives you probably would never associate with privacy and security settings.
“We’re using data to improve
We’re using data to improve product experiences. And putting in a link to a user’s account from search is an easy entry point. – Guemmy Kim, Google’s product manager for account controls and settings
product experiences” for the notoriously dense area of user account controls, Kim said. “And putting in a link to a user’s account from search is an easy entry point.”
The new card features, set to roll out in the coming weeks, will come up on the right side of the screen on desktops; on mobile, it will display over the top result. It’s the first time that Google has linked users’ account info directly into its search engine. Users will need to be signed in for the vanity search to work; otherwise Google wouldn’t be able to know your name is your name.
Another new feature called “Find Your Phone,” helps you locate your treasured device. It’s similar to Apple’s “Find my iPhone” or Samsung’s “Find my Mobile” but with a focus on protecting the information in your Google account. On Android phones, it will also let you remotely ring your device, remotely set up a special lockscreen so you can easily be contacted, and let you sign out of your device remotely. Signing out of your account should help minimise the access a thief can have to your Google information.
The feature also offers a nuclear option: You can wipe your phone remotely if you’re sure it’s never coming back.
The updates to “My Account” reflect a larger trend in the way companies look at privacy settings and a shift in how they are designing their data controls to make them as easy and intuitive to use as Gmail or Google Drive. Though users really curious about Google’s practices may still want to take a deep dive into the policy, efforts such as “My Account” give users a simpler, way to feel in control of their data.
These more common-sense tools are important for users, who are growing more aware of the massive amounts of data they’re pouring into Google and other accounts, said Jules Polonetsky, chief executive of the Future of Privacy Forum, a think tank promoting responsible data use that’s backed by a mix of foundations and companies, including Google. Tech companies as a whole, he said, are supportive when it comes to designing for true usability.
“You can get in a rental car you’ve never driven before and be on your way,” he said. “We’ve been driving browsers for decades now, and we’re still lacking these basic consumer-friendly features.” — Washington Post