Google is Sharing Your Posts with Third Parties without Telling You
23, Sep 2021
Craig UptonMost people acknowledge and accept that once you hand something over to Google, they can and will do anything they like with it; something that most certainly applies to those who publish Google Posts in Google My Business, which effectively become the property of the company upon submission.
If you have ever taken the time to read all of Google’s terms and conditions for publishers, then you will already know this.
What is interesting is how as of late, reports are popping up of Google actively informing people that their posts may be used outside the company’s own confines. Google Posts used liberally across Google’s own properties is hardly a surprise, but using people’s posts on third-party websites without their consent is something else entirely.
The notification of being received by numerous publishers clearly states that “your posts will appear on Google services across the web, like Maps and Search, and on third-party sites.” Though what is interesting is how they provide no indication whatsoever as to the third-party sites they are referring to.
Are they using them for linking purposes? Are they being sold without your knowledge? Nobody really knows.
Of course, whether or not it really matters is open to interpretation, but it is nonetheless interesting to know your Google Post could very well be appearing all over the place, without you ever knowing about it.
Feel free to contact Google directly for clarification regarding the use and distribution of your own posts, but do not expect a particularly prompt or detailed response.
