Google is to stop scanning the contents of your Gmail account in order to send you targeted advertisements, according to a report from the Financial Times.
Google has told the publication it will finally stop the practice, which has been carried out since Gmail became a thing way back in 2004.
Related: Google I/O 2017 highlights
Google has always scanned the accounts of free users for advertising purposes, but enterprise users of its G-Suite were excused from the practice.
Apparently, Google worried this approach created confusion among the 3 million companies using G-Suite and so it is ditching ad targeting within Gmail across the board.
However, this doesn’t mean users of the webmail service will be free from ads completely.
It will still use search, browsing and YouTube histories to flood your account with ads. But at least you won’t be targeted by having your private conversations read.
Small wins. Small wins.
Do you feel a little better about using Gmail now? Share your thoughts in the comments below
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
