Dive Brief:

• Google’s My Account feature now includes a My Activity panel that offers users a place to control, protect and secure their data, such as search and browsing histories, according to Marketing Land.
• This is first time Google has offered users access to all their activity data in one location. Users can remove search and browsing activities around specific topics in order to no longer be served with ads or content recommendations around those topics.
• Google is also providing users with an Ads Personalization feature, the next generation of Ads Preferences Manager and Ad Settings Manager. Ads Personalization is turned off by default, but for users who activate it, Google expects the feature will improve their ad experience by giving them a better sense of control over the ads they are served across devices.

Dive Insight:

Marketers should welcome Google's latest move to give consumers more control over their data and the ads they are served. A recent study by the Interactive Advertising Bureau for the UK found that providing consumers with more control over their advertising experiences may be the best antidote to ad blocking.

For starters, the new features should boost consumer confidence by virtue of sheer transparency and empowering consumers to take control over their browsing data, an area many people find arcane and maybe even a bit sinister.

The new features also allow users to remove topic areas for which they have no interest in seeing ads or content recommendations, ultimately improving the value of targeted ad campaigns on Google since those users will only be served with ads on topics they are ostensibly interested in seeing.

Google also recently launched a "show fewer ads" feature within AdSense that reduces the number ads displayed on publishers’ websites, giving website visitors a better user experience. 

Google is one of the few players in the online advertising space that can actually make a dent in improving the user experience. Industry organizations and federal regulators (at least for now) have no real teeth in enforcing any type of standard that improves the user experience.