I understand that Google sources valuable information from it's users to cover the cost of offering its services to users for free. I have no qualm with my emails being scanned to show me relevant ads, that Google keeps a record of which videos I watch on YouTube in order to suggest others, or that Google knows the location of some places I frequent. Yes it's personal information, but most of it isn't that detailed, my account gives me control over whether this information is collected in the first place, and I'm given the ability to delete it both selectively, or entirely. This is not the case with purchase history. I very much dislike that a purchase history is being scraped from my emails, that the record of these purchases is kept, and that I cannot delete this data except by deleting the original emails. This is very detailed information which, I'm being granted very little power over. It does not make me feel in control of my personal information which, makes me less willing to share information with Google in the first place, and more vigilant about deleting information that I do share.
In regards to data collection and privacy, Google is better than a lot of sites out there, but I still feel they fall short in regards to telling users exactly what they collect, being up front about how they use it, and granting users control (I understand that only so much control can be given while still maintaining a commercially viable service, but a man can dream). I had no idea they were keeping a purchase history until I stumbled upon it by accident. The fact that I had access to this information is comforting, the fact that I didn't know about it in the first place is not.
License:Comprehensible Open License 2.0
Comprehensible Open License 2.0:
Material provided under the terms of this license can be used, modified, duplicated, and distributed, provided the material remains free of charge, and the author of the material is not held responsible for any consequence of using it.