Google is Rolling out a New Feature Gmail

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Currently, Gmail users on Apple devices have the option of accessing the service though its mobile web app, Apple's built-in Mail app, and a handful of third-party clients. In an ironic twist, during yesterday's Halloween festivities, Google unveiled a new initiative designed to further allay user privacy fears and remove the "creepy" factor from targeted ads. The new feature is called "Why these ads?" and allows you to find out exactly why you were targeted for a particular advertisement on Gmail and Google search pages.

For those unfamiliar with Google's Ad Preferences Manager, the system allows you to selectively block any advertiser on Google that you feel is inappropriate or perhaps simply annoying (you can also unblock that advertiser). (Although Google claims that those who opted-in see 22 percent fewer ads than opted-out users, so choose wisely.)

In a recent Ad Preferences Manager update video, a Google spokesperson admitted, "Sometimes how we personalize ads for you can seem mysterious." The new "Why these ads?" feature is designed to further remove any mystery in regards to how a user is targeted for a specific ad.
This new sensitivity to targeted ads on the part of users appears to be increasingly straining the trust relationship many take for granted with free web services.

You can explore the "Why these ads?" feature here, and check out a video from Google explaining their Ad Preferences Manager below. Google is rolling out a new feature that explains why its users see certain ads when they search Google or check their Gmail. Google says it tries to be transparent about the information it collects and show consumers the most relevant ads. If Google knows what ads to show you then it might even show you fewer ads, the logic goes.

"Our advertising system is designed to show the right ad to the right person at the right time. Wojcicki says the new feature, called "Why these ads," helps users learn more about why they see certain ads and gives them the ability to block advertisers or opt out of ads that are personalized to them.
For example, Google search users who click on "Why these ads?" next to ads that show up in search results will get an explanation such as "this ad is based on your current search terms." Users can then decide if they want to block that advertiser or turn off ad personalization altogether.

Users of Gmail, Google's email service, will also be able to block advertisers. Google serves up ads based on the contents of emails (although Google does not "read" your emails).
Google derives the vast majority of its revenue from advertising, chiefly search ads, which are popular because businesses can track the effectiveness of their ad dollars.
What Google still does not do: Let users stop Google from collecting information based on their search history.