Incident #E9C81C · 03 APR 2026minor
YouTube privacy policy broadens ad/analytics linking beyond Google Analytics and adds AI likeness detection
Google's wording on linking activity across sites and apps now refers to its ad or analytics services in general, rather than a Google Analytics customer choosing to enable Google to link it. Google Analytics data is now described as linkable to 'cookies and other technologies' on websites and apps, not just third-party cookies on websites. A new example of YouTube likeness detection, which detects faces in videos that appear altered or AI-generated, was added to the legal-bases table. Wording about third-party sites changed from 'may still share' to 'still share' information.
Taken from you
- The sentence on linking your activity across sites and apps now refers to Google's ad or analytics services in general, rather than a Google Analytics customer choosing to enable it.
- Linking now covers cookies and other technologies and apps, not just third-party cookies on websites
- Wording that third-party sites 'may' share data became a definite 'still share' statement regardless of browser mode
- Face detection in YouTube videos is now cited as a processing activity (likeness detection)
Won back
- Likeness detection helps users find and report AI-altered or generated faces in videos
Evidence · 4 of 4 quotes matched in source
When you visit sites or use apps that use Google’s ad or analytics services, those services may link information about your activity from that site or app with activity from other sites or apps that use our services.+ inserted · ✓ matched in source
Using our systems, data generated through Google Analytics can be linked by the Google Analytics customer and by Google to cookies and other technologies that are related to visits to other websites and apps. Learn more+ inserted · ✓ matched in source
For example, YouTube likeness detection helps users find and report potential abuse by detecting faces in YouTube videos that appear to be altered or generated by AI.+ inserted · ✓ matched in source
Archived version ↗ · 734 words changed