Google Wants To Use Your Photo To Promote Stuff In Ads, Here's How To Stop It

Google is updating its Terms Of Service. The new terms will go live on November 11, 2013.

What's changing? How your Google+ profile name and photo might appear in Google products, like reviews and ads.

Here's how it works:

Your Google+ connections may start to see your profile name and photo next to content like the reviews you share or the ads you've "liked" (or in Google terms, "+1'd").

This only happens when you take an action -things like +1'ing, commenting, or following - and the only people who see it are the people you've chosen to share that content with.

For example, your friends might see that you rated an album 4 stars on a band's Google Play page. (Google Play is the store on Android devices where you buy content like music, videos, and apps.) Your photo may also show up in ads for local businesses if you've +1'd it on Google+.

Google is calling these recommendations "Shared Endorsements."

This is what a shared endorsement will look like:

If you don't want this happening, you can turn off Shared Endorsements.

This is how to turn them off. In the left hand corner of your Google + page, you'll see a drop down menu. At the bottom, click settings:

It will take you right to your Google + security settings.

Right at the top, you will see a place to change "Shared Endorsements". You can turn them on or off.