Google To Consolidate Your Entertainment Reviews On New Profile Page
Google is set to consolidate all your reviews of movies, TV shows, books, albums, and games under a single profile page starting June 24. This change was communicated to users via email last month. These profiles will be searchable through Google searches, potentially leading to profiling based on user preferences.
The feature to post movie reviews initially launched in India in 2017 and has since expanded globally. Last year, Google informed TechCrunch that review profiles became public and searchable in some regions, beginning with the U.S. and India. Now, this functionality is being extended worldwide.
Users can now click on any profile to view all posted reviews. Google mentioned to TechCrunch that users have the option to make their profiles private. However, this toggle was only made available earlier this week, as noted by SEO consultant Gagan Ghotra and TechCrunch.
A Google spokesperson explained, "Profiles make it easier for people to see and manage their reviews of things like movies and TV shows in one place and make reviews more helpful for others. These reviews were already public, and we provide people with control to make their profile private or delete it altogether, along with options to privately edit or delete their reviews."
Default Public Profiles
By default, all profiles are public. If users are unaware of their profile page or miss Google's email notifications (which might have landed in spam or update folders), their profiles will be visible to everyone.
Google stated that it notified users about the hiding profile control through the Google Profile interface and via a pop-up on existing reviews. However, if users are unaware of the new profile's existence, they are unlikely to visit the page frequently.
Gagan Ghotra highlighted that searchable profiles could be used by potential employers to gauge future employees' opinions, affecting hiring decisions. Additionally, advertisers could easily scrape this data for targeted ads.
Steps to Hide Your Profile
To make your profile private:
1. Visit profile.google.com.
2. Click/tap on the three-dot menu next to your profile name.
3. Select "Profile Options."
4. Turn on the Profile Privacy toggle.
Even if you hide your profile, individual reviews will still appear under specific titles but won't link back to your complete review page. Reviews on Google Maps are not included in this update.
This global rollout aims to streamline user experience by consolidating reviews into one accessible location while providing privacy controls for those who prefer it.
Sign in with Google