Google is the world’s most popular search engine, and it has a wide variety of other services to help you make the most of your Internet experience.
Whether you’re a new user or an experienced one, Google has something for everyone. Some of the most popular Google services include:
Chrome – A free web browser that works across desktops, tablets, and smartphones with a simple click or tap.
Gmail – A free email service that allows you to send, receive, and read messages.
Photos – Online cloud storage for photos and videos.
Drive – A service that lets you save, share, and access your files from anywhere.
Voice Assistant – A voice assistant that allows you to use your voice to find information or ask questions.
Docs – A fantastic free solution from Google that lets you create documents, open Microsoft Word documents, and share them with others.
Patents – A fantastic tool that let’s you search for over 7 million patents.
Blog – A great way to stay up-to-date with all of the latest Google news and events.
Earth – A fantastic software program that lets you view almost everything on earth, get directions, find close shops and places of interest, and more.
Keep – A fantastic service that lets you save notes and tasks.
Street View – A wonderful way to see and explore the world around you, as well as get driving directions.
Android – A mobile operating system that enables users to install and run apps.
Chrome Extensions – A great way to add extensions to Google’s browser that give you access to the apps and features that you love.
Google Apps – A suite of applications from Google designed to make your life easier.
Data & Privacy
The most common way that Google shares your personal information is through its ad network.
In this process, it uses your identifying cookie to send data about your Web activities to ad exchanges. These ad exchanges then send you ads that are tailored to your interests.
This type of targeting is a major source of privacy concerns, as it is the primary means by which Google and its ad network share your personal data with advertisers.
It’s also the only way for advertisers to target you based on your interests, without asking you for permission first.
Despite the fact that Google claims it does not sell your data, it still has a huge impact on how you use the Web and how you interact with other people.
When you’re using a website, app, or service that has code from Google in it, it will send a request for your identifying cookie to the company’s servers. That cookie will tell the company what you did on that page, and they can then send you ads based on your interest.
In the real-time bidding (RTB) ecosystem, Google is the dominant player on the supply side of the market, controlling massive portions of every level of this system, from ad servers to ad exchanges to ad networks. Its ad network, DoubleClick, controls over half of the Web’s ad exchange market. Its mobile ad server, AdMob, is the largest of its kind in the world for both iOS and Android.