Google announced this week that a new Google+ feature would let people receive email messages through Gmail from anyone on the social network, a bold change that caused privacy concerns.
Users who don't opt out could start receiving emails from strangers who follow them on Google+, so people should review their options when it comes to Google settings, according to InformationWeek.com.
The new Google+ feature is optional and so are several other settings that Gmail users might want to double-check, InformationWeek reported.
1. Users who aren't thrilled with the Google+ change can go to their settings page and look at the general tab, which should be automatically selected. The "Email via Google+" setting has four options for who can contact you, so select the "no one" preference if you don't want Google+ users (who don't have your email) to be able to contact you.
2. InformationWeek further advises deleting your browser history on a regular basis, since Google tracks and logs all web history. While it's impossible to opt out of Google's tracking your every image, web and map search, you can remove your search history.
3. Another thing you can get rid of if so inclined is your Google+ page. All Gmail users are automatically signed up for an account, but it can be easily deleted by going to the settings page. The option to disable Google+ is at the bottom and will let users completely deactivate their Google+ profiles.
4. Similar to some of Facebook's policies, Google can use your name and photo next to advertisements through the Shared Endorsements feature. If you want to opt out, go to Shared Endorsements page, scroll to the bottom and uncheck the box allowing Google to use this information in paid content.
5. YouTube is another important spot to check. If you want to make sure your "likes" and subscriptions are private, go to the YouTube account settings page. While you're there, be sure to change the privacy setting if you don't want strangers to be able to send you messages and share videos with you.
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