Google to give users greater control over what ads they see

Google is giving its users the chance to change their privacy settings and choose what information is stored with a user's account, according to insiders. The feature, which will be rolling out in the coming weeks, offers users the chance to opt in or out. For those who do, it could lead to greater personalisation of ads. Google is also adding 'My Activity' which supplies an internet history across "Google properties". Until now, data from different products was stored separately.

The search engine giant is introducing a feature that lets users opt in to a new way of storing info that over time could lead to ads that are more personalized for individuals. The company is already collecting massive amounts of information about each user's search activity, Gmail messages and YouTube views, but according to a source, the update will change what information is associated with a user's account instead of having data for each Google product stored separately.