Privacy policy for Google test ad-serving cookies

Overview
Google is testing a new system to help advertisers serve and manage ads across the web. In order to provide this service, we set a cookie on your computer browser when you view one of these ads. This privacy policy describes how these cookies work, and how you can opt out of receiving them.

We appreciate your help in evaluating this new system and welcome your feedback.

Cookie information
Google test ad-serving cookies are small files containing a string of characters that identify a computer browser. The cookie file will appear in your browser as 'googleadservices.com/gcc/.'

When an ad is served through the Google test ad server and displayed in your browser, Google will record some limited information each time you view an ad. An example of such a record looks like this:

time: 0x431d2c87beb40
ad_placement_id: 105
ad_id: 1003
userid: 0x11da016337ba6232
client_ip: 0x480ee301
referral_url: "http://youtube.com/categories"

The 'time' field reflects the time when the ad was displayed. The 'ad placement id' and 'ad id' identify the advertising campaign and the specific ad served. The 'userid' is the cookie that identifies your browser. The 'client IP' reflects your Internet Protocol (IP) address. A 'referral URL' indicates the URL of the page where the ad was served. The logs also record whether you click on or otherwise interact with one of these ads.

We won't use or maintain the information collected with the test ad serving cookies in association with your personally-identifying information without your opt-in consent.

You may opt out of receiving these cookies at any time, as described below.

How we use the test ad-serving information
We use the information collected through the test ad server to:

• Provide a variety of products and services, including customized display advertising to users and ad campaign reporting to advertisers
• Audit, research, and analyze the data in order to maintain, protect, and improve our advertising services
• Ensure our ad-serving technology functions properly
• Develop new services

The test ad server information described above is provided to advertisers who use the test ad server and on whose behalf the data was collected. Google will give advertising customers access to their ad campaign data, but not data associated with other ads served through Google.

How to opt out of Google test ad-serving cookies
You may choose to opt out of Google's test ad-serving cookies at any time. When you opt out, Google will replace all previously-served googleadservices.com/gcc/ cookies in the browser you're using with an opt-out cookie which does not have a unique ID. As a result, the Google test ad serving system won't be able to recognize your browser as unique or associate your browser with you.

You'll still see ads if you've opted out of the Google test ad-serving cookies. However, our ad-serving technology will no longer associate data with your unique browser. As long as your computer retains the opt-out cookie, Google won't serve new test ad-serving cookies to your browser.

After you opt out, ads delivered through the test ad server will be targeted based on limited information--such as your browser type, IP address (for location-specific targeting), and website content--that is automatically transmitted to the Google ad serving system. Other customization options will no longer be available; for example, we may no longer be able to prevent your browser from being served with the same ad over and over.

If you use more than one browser on your computer (such as Firefox and Internet Explorer), you must follow this opt-out process separately for each browser. If you change computers, install a new browser, switch or update browsers, delete your cookies, or alter your browser’s cookie file, you may need to repeat the opt-out process. After opting out of Google's test ad-serving cookies, you may return to the cookie settings page at any time to opt back in.

Cookie settings page security
When you visit the cookie settings page, Google will set an additional, temporary cookie from optout.googleadservices.com/gcc on your browser. This cookie will be used solely to prevent unauthorized changes to your cookie settings and will be deleted when you close your browser.

When you visit an advertiser's site
Advertisers using our test ad server receive the information collected through this service in order to manage their ad campaigns and measure the effectiveness of their ads. When you visit these advertiser sites, Google will recognize the Google test ad-serving cookie in your browser and record information related to your visit to the advertiser’s website. In addition, Google or our advertising customers may use web beacons in conjunction with cookies to collect information about your visit to the website.

Google requires customers that display Google ads to comply with all applicable laws, including data protection laws that require posting a privacy policy. We encourage all users to review the privacy policies of sites they visit for information about those sites' data practices.

When we share information
We may share with additional third parties certain aggregated, non-personal information, such as ad clickthrough rate by time of day or geographical location.

In addition, we may share the information with other companies or individuals in the following limited circumstances:

• We provide such information to our subsidiaries, affiliated companies, or other trusted businesses or persons for the purpose of processing the information on our behalf or our advertising customer’s behalf. We require that these parties agree to process such information based on our instructions and in compliance with this policy and any other appropriate confidentiality and security measures.
• We have a good faith belief that access, use, preservation, or disclosure of such information is reasonably necessary to (a) satisfy any applicable law, regulation, legal process or enforceable governmental request, (b) detect, prevent, or otherwise address fraud, security, or technical issues, or (c) protect against imminent harm to the rights, property or safety of Google, its advertising customers, its users, or the public as required or permitted by law.
  

Google processes information on its servers in the United States of America and in other countries. In some cases, we may process information on a server outside your country. We process information on behalf of a third party, such as our advertising partners, in addition to the purposes described above.

If Google becomes involved in a merger, acquisition, or any form of sale of some or all of its assets, we may transfer the information, and, in the event of a potential transfer of any personally-identifiable information, we will provide notice before such personally identifiable information is transferred and becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

Information security
Google takes appropriate security measures to protect against unauthorized access to or unauthorized alteration, disclosure, or destruction of data. These include internal reviews of our data collection, storage, and processing practices and security measures, as well as physical security measures to guard against unauthorized access to systems where we store personal data.

Safe harbor compliance
Google adheres to the U.S. safe harbor privacy principles of notice, choice, onward transfer, security, data integrity, access, and enforcement, and is registered with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s safe harbor program.

Changes to this policy
This privacy policy may change from time to time. We'll post any policy changes on this page and, if the changes are significant, we'll provide a more prominent notice. Each version of this policy will be identified at the bottom of the page by its effective date.

Contact us
If you have any questions about this policy, please feel free to contact us online or write to us as Privacy Matters, c/o Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, California 94043 USA.

August 10, 2007