Google will now make all user reviews of movies, TV shows, books, albums, and games visible on a public profile page starting from June 24th. This move will allow users to see all the reviews posted by a specific user in one place. While Google has made the option to create private profiles available, it is set to be public by default, which may concern users who are unaware of this change.
The company initially launched the ability to publish movie reviews for Indian users in 2017, gradually expanding this feature worldwide. Last year, Google made review profiles public and searchable in certain regions like the US and India. Now, Google has decided to make all profiles public globally, potentially exposing users to profiling based on their preferences.
Users can access these profile pages through Google searches, which may lead to unintended consequences like potential employers looking up opinions of prospective employees or targeted advertising. To make a profile private, users can follow a few simple steps on their profile page settings. Any individual reviews will still be visible but won’t link directly to the user’s profile page.
Notifications about the new profile settings were sent through the Google profile interface and pop-ups in existing reviews. However, users who are unaware of the existence of these profile pages may miss these notifications. Google might need to improve its communication with users to ensure that they are aware of the changes and can make informed decisions about the privacy of their profile.
Overall, the ability to view and manage reviews in one place can be a convenient feature for Google users. Still, the implications of public profiles, such as potential profiling and targeted advertising, raise concerns about privacy and data protection. Users should be made aware of these changes and given clear instructions on how to manage their profile settings to protect their privacy.
Article Source
https://techcrunch.com/2024/06/21/google-is-making-your-movie-and-tv-reviews-visible-under-a-new-profile-page/
