An email I've been expecting arrived today:
Dear Google user,
We're getting rid of over 60 different privacy policies across Google and replacing them with one that's a lot shorter and easier to read. Our new policy covers multiple products and features, reflecting our desire to create one beautifully simple and intuitive experience across Google.
In less poetic prose, what this means is that Google will be combining all of the data they collect on you across 60 different areas, and will be using it to determine what you see when you search, read email, or otherwise interact with one of dozens of Google services. Of course, they already to this to a large extent; now they're just going to do it in an even bigger way.
The plan has raise the ire of many critics who argue the move violates user privacy, increases the potential for inadvertent information disclosure, and leaves users with no opt-out option. Of course, Google does offer a "data liberation option" which is a rather fancy way of saying you can just quit using Google and take (a copy of) your data with you if you don't like the change. But while getting out altogether could be a viable option for some, for many it may not be.
Ironically, while the proposed changes are very beneficial to Google, from a user use perspective they simply make Google search results even less meaningful. Ultimately, I use a search engine to help me find what I don't already know, to discover what others are experiencing, to gain a broader view of the Web and increase my knowledge of the world at large. I don't want narcissistic results that only provide a myopic view into my own world. Sure, that helps Google serve ads, but how does it help me?
You can reduce the profiling and restore some usefulness to Google searches if you (1) almost never actually login to Google; (2) logout the second you're done; (3) keep your Web history cleared; (4) use NoScript religiously to disallow javascript from Google or their services unless absolutely necessary; (5) close your browser and flush cookies after any Google session; and (6) if possible, use multiple computers.
That's a lot of work though. And it still won't get rid of all of Google's 'personalization' in searches. Since what is relevant from Google's standpoint isn't useful to me, I've found a far easier route is just to switch search engines. DuckDuckGo is my default; it has both a secure and a plain HTML option.