Google as a data controller

Google operates as a data controller for DFP and Ad Exchange. Publishers use these products as independent data controllers, not processors or joint controllers. This is reflected in our Controller-Controller Data Protection Terms, which now form part of DFP and Ad Exchange contracts for publishers who have online contractual terms, and will be made available to all other DFP and Ad Exchange publishers.

DFP and Ad Exchange are classified as controllers under GDPR because we regularly use data to deliver and improve the product—for example, testing ad serving algorithms, monitoring end-user latency, and ensuring the accuracy of our forecasting system. Additionally, we use data to deliver relevant and high-performing ads in features like optimized pricing in the open auction. These capabilities have been essential to the development of DFP and AdX from their inception, and are critical to the value of the product we deliver to you today.

The designation of Google’s publisher products as controller does not give Google any additional rights over data derived from a publisher’s use of DFP and Ad Exchange. Google’s uses of data are controlled by the terms of its contract with its publishers, and any feature-specific settings chosen by a publisher through the user interface of our products.

Managing data

Our Platforms Program Policies prohibit the use of products like DFP and Ad Exchange to pass any information to Google that Google could use or recognize as personally-identifiable information. This would include, for example, end users’ email addresses or phone numbers.

Each ad request on a publisher’s site or app will share certain data from the user’s device, for instance the user’s IP address will be shared with Google. An ad request on a web page will also share existing cookies or cause new cookies to be set (depending on the user’s browser settings). For details of the cookies we use, see Types of cookies used by Google. If a publisher uses publisher provided IDs (PPID), these will also be shared in an ad request. In mobile apps, ad requests will share advertising identifiers. Location data may also be shared, where available.

Subject to DFP and Ad Exchange policies, publishers and buyers may also upload some data (such as audience lists), enter free-form text into certain fields, and provide publisher and buyer data (for example, during publisher account creation or report scheduling).

Google does not use data from publishers’ sites to create publisher-specific audience segments or use data entered into the DFP and Ad Exchange UI to inform bidding by other Google products (AdWords, DBM). For Ad Exchange-eligible inventory, the publisher can control through the DFP and Ad Exchange UI whether AdWords and DBM can serve relevant ads using: (i) non-signed-in data from its sites (learn more); and (ii) signed-in Google data from its sites (learn more). Further, DFP and Ad Exchange data is never shared with Google’s media sales teams (e.g. YouTube or the Google Display Network) for purposes of competing against our DFP and Ad Exchange publishers. Google’s designation as a controller does not change this position.

What is the data used for?

Google uses DFP and Ad Exchange data to help us provide and develop the DFP and Ad Exchange services (described further below) and make advertising more effective. Identifiers such as cookies or mobile advertising IDs are used to stop users from seeing the same ad over and over again, to detect and stop click fraud, and to show ads that are likely to be more relevant to the user (such as ads based on websites the user has visited). DFP and Ad Exchange data is also used to deliver reports to publishers about their own networks, troubleshoot the DFP and Ad Exchange products, and answer publishers’ questions about the products.

Data access

We do not share DFP and Ad Exchange ads data except with the publisher’s consent, as expressly permitted under the terms of their DFP and Ad Exchange agreement or when required by law.

Ad Exchange shares limited user information (detailed below) with potential bidders through its real-time bidder feature. Publishers can control the participating bidders by using in-product controls. This information is shared to help the bidder decide whether they want to serve an ad to the user and, if so, which ad they want to show, and how much they want to bid.

The information that is shared with potential bidders includes:

• The web address of the page, or name of the app, provided the publisher allows such sharing
• The category of that page (e.g., “Sports News”) and its language
• The type of browser and device the user is using, and their device’s screen size
• The user’s approximate geographic location (note that when the user’s device is set to share their precise location, we share only an area with bidders, not their precise location, and that area approximates to at least one square kilometer – roughly the size of 200 football fields – and may be significantly larger in sparsely populated areas)
• A truncated version of the user’s IP address, which potential bidders may use for purposes such as determining the user’s approximate geography for themselves, and as a signal to protect against advertising fraud
• For web pages, an encrypted cookie identifier that is unique to the potential bidder, which helps a bidder that has its own cookie on the user’s browser to look at any other information it has associated with that cookie (e.g., based on that cookie, the bidder may know that the user is a female with an interest in hockey)
• For apps and other devices, such as gaming consoles and connected TV devices, an advertising ID that serves the same purpose.

In addition, our Ad Exchange policies restrict the ways in which the Ad Exchange bidders are allowed to use this information.

Internally, Google uses strict access controls (using both automated technical controls and internal policy controls) to limit internal access to personal data to only those with a business need to access it. Internal access to DFP and Ad Exchange data is only permitted if that access is consistent with the terms of the publisher’s DFP and Ad Exchange agreement (see above).

Data retention, data deletion and data portability

Signed-in Google users can delete past searches, browsing history, and other authenticated activity from their Google Accounts. When these events are deleted, they will no longer contribute to that user’s signed-in ads profile. For more information about the data deletion functionalities available in My Activity, please refer to the My Activity help center. Signed-in users can also view and edit their Google account ads profile in Ads Settings.

End user data from users who are not signed-in Google users can no longer be used by Google for purposes of targeting that user if:

• the user’s cookie expires or the user chooses to delete/clear their cookies; or
• the user turns off ads personalization across the web via Google Ads Settings.

We store a record of the ads we serve in our logs, for signed-in and signed-out users. These server logs typically include a user’s web request, IP address, browser type, browser language, the date and time of the ad request, and one or more cookies or an advertising ID that may uniquely identify that user’s browser or mobile device. We anonymize IP addresses in logs by removing part of the address after 9 months. After 18 months, we further anonymize log data by anonymizing or deleting cookie or advertising ID information in both logs and ad serving databases.

User data tied to cookies and advertising IDs is also used to detect and prevent ad fraud and ensure that users don’t see ads that they’ve blocked in the past. In these cases, or in cases where Google stores this data on behalf of its customers (e.g. in Google Analytics), data may be stored for periods longer than those specified above.

When DFP/Ad Exchange associates information about a signed-in Google user’s activity with the user’s Google Account, the user can access that activity through My Activity, as described above. Signed-in Google users can also export all their My Activity records (including ads-related records) via Download your data.

Data privacy and security certifications

Privacy Shield

The U.S. Department of Commerce has approved Google’s certification to the Privacy Shield as fully compliant. View our Privacy Shield certification.

ISO 27001

Google has earned ISO 27001 certification for the systems, applications, people, technology, processes, and data centers serving a number of Google products, including DFP/Ad Exchange. Download our certificate here (PDF) or learn more about ISO 27001.

How Google uses information from sites or apps that use our services

Many websites and apps use Google services to improve their content and keep it free. When they integrate our services, these sites and apps share information with Google.

For example, when you visit a website that uses advertising services like AdSense, including analytics tools like Google Analytics, or embeds video content from YouTube, your web browser automatically sends certain information to Google. This includes the URL of the page you’re visiting and your IP address. We may also set cookies on your browser or read cookies that are already there. Apps that use Google advertising services also share information with Google, such as the name of the app and a unique identifier for advertising.

Google uses the information shared by sites and apps to deliver our services, maintain and improve them, develop new services, measure the effectiveness of advertising, protect against fraud and abuse, and personalize content and ads you see on Google and on our partners’ sites and apps. See our Privacy Policy to learn more about how we process data for each of these purposes and our Advertising page for more about Google ads, how your information is used in the context of advertising, and how long Google stores this information.

Ad personalization

If ad personalization is turned on, Google will use your information to make your ads more useful for you. For example, a website that sells mountain bikes might use Google’s ad services. After you visit that site, you could see an ad for mountain bikes on a different site that shows ads served by Google.

If ad personalization is off, Google will not collect or use your information to create an ad profile or personalize the ads Google shows to you. You will still see ads, but they may not be as useful. Ads may still be based on the topic of the website or app you’re looking at, your current search terms, or on your general location, but not on your interests, search history, or browsing history. Your information can still be used for the other purposes mentioned above, such as to measure the effectiveness of advertising and protect against fraud and abuse.

When you interact with a website or app that uses Google services, you may be asked to choose whether you want to see personalized ads from ad providers, including Google. Regardless of your choice, Google will not personalize the ads you see if your ad personalization setting is off or your account is ineligible for personalized ads.

You can see and control what information we use to show you ads by visiting your ad settings.

How you can control the information collected by Google on these sites and apps

Here are some of the ways you can control the information that is shared by your device when you visit or interact with sites and apps that use Google services:

• Ad Settings helps you control ads you see on Google services (such as Google Search or YouTube), or on non-Google websites and apps that use Google ad services. You can also learn how ads are personalized, opt out of ad personalization, and block specific advertisers.
• If you are signed in to your Google Account, and depending on your Account settings, My Activity allows you to review and control data that’s created when you use Google services, including the information we collect from the sites and apps you have visited. You can browse by date and by topic, and delete part or all of your activity.
• Many websites and apps use Google Analytics to understand how visitors engage with their sites or apps. If you don’t want Analytics to be used in your browser, you can install the Google Analytics browser add-on. Learn more about Google Analytics and privacy.
• Incognito mode in Chrome allows you to browse the web without recording webpages and files in your browser or Account history (unless you choose to sign in). Cookies are deleted after you’ve closed all of your incognito windows and tabs, and your bookmarks and settings are stored until you delete them. Learn more about cookies.
• Many browsers, including Chrome, allow you to block third-party cookies. You can also clear any existing cookies from within your browser. Learn more about managing cookies in Chrome.