512-879-6366
So far in 2012, Google has issued the Panda 3.2 update and the company’s new and updated privacy policy has gone into effect.
Google Panda 3.2 Update
The Panda 3.2 update occurred in mid-January and served as a data refresh of Google’s Panda algorithm and Google indicated that there weren’t additional changes to the algorithm. Shortly after the Panda update took effect, some webmasters had commented about losing rankings, but others mentioned that sites originally affected by the Panda update had recovered their traffic levels that were occurring prior to the Panda update. This supports Google’s explanation that this update was a data refresh in that Google ran the data refresh and updated sites based on whether or not they should have been affected by Panda or not. There is speculation that Google actually issued a Panda update back in November of 2011, but there hasn’t been a great deal of information regarding this. The reason stated for the large gap of time in between updates was due to Google’s promise of not launching any updates during the holidays.
Google Updated Privacy Policy
There has been a lot of buzz about Google’s updated privacy policy around the globe stemming from questions regarding whether or not the new policy violates domestic rules in Europe and Japan. The updated privacy policy went into effect on March 1st and the advocacy group EPIC has made attempts to block the new privacy policy on the grounds that it violates Google’s earlier Buzz case/investigation settlement with the FTC. EPIC’s effort to block the policy has so far been unsuccessful.
Representatives from Google state that the new policy is intended to simplify privacy issues across Google’s many properties and enable the company to roll-out a host of new consumer products and services. Some have suggested that the simplification of privacy being carried out by Google’s new policy is actually in response to mandates resulting from the settlement in the Buzz case investigation by the FTC. Representatives from Google have said that users will still have control over their browsing and search history and that the policy won’t change existing privacy settings or the manner in which personal information is shared outside of the company.
Google also states that it will not be selling the personal data of users or collecting any new or additional information about users. Google is taking responsibility for its mistakes in the past and appears to be making quite an effort to ensure users that its intentions remain guided by its principles of control, notification, and transparency in its attempts to balance the interests of both consumers and its advertising interests.
