About DMA & your linked services

The Digital Markets Act (DMA) is an EU law that took effect on March 6, 2024. As a result of the DMA, in the EU, Google offers you the choice to link certain Google services. Those Google services include:

  • Search
  • YouTube
  • Ad services
  • Google Play
  • Chrome
  • Google Shopping
  • Google Maps

You can choose to link all these services, choose to have none of these services linked, or choose which of these individual services you want to link.

When linked, these services can share your data with each other and with all other linked Google services for certain purposes. For example, linked Google services can work together to help personalize your content and ads, depending on your settings.

Google services that can’t be linked

For most users in the EU there are no services that can’t be linked. Some services can’t be linked for users in Germany.

Tip: All other Google services that share data with each other and are not named above are always linked.

About linked services

If services aren’t linked, some features that involve sharing data across Google services will be limited or unavailable. For example:

  • When Search, YouTube, and Chrome are not linked services, your recommendations in Search, like “What to watch” and your Discover feed will be less personalized.
  • When Search and Maps are not linked services, you won't be able to save places on Search.

Aspects of a service that don’t involve sharing data won’t be affected.

You won’t be signed out of any Google services if you choose not to link services. Also, linking Google services is not about sharing your data with third-party services.

Manage your linked services

You’re in control. You can choose which of the Google services listed above are linked. You can review or change your choices anytime in your Google Account. Learn how to manage your linked services.

About your data

Learn more about how your data is used across linked Google services.

What data is used
Personal data that is collected about your interactions with linked Google services can be shared across any linked services. This includes searches, videos you watch on YouTube, apps you install from Google Play, associated information, like your device information, and all the other types of information described in our Privacy Policy
How Google uses this data

Google uses this data shared across linked services for the purposes that are set out in our Privacy Policy:

  • Providing personalized services, including content and ads, depending on your settings
  • Maintaining and improving our services
  • Developing new services
  • Understanding how people use our services to ensure and improve the performance of our services

The choices you make about linked services don’t change your other settings, such as choices you've made to personalize Google services. They just expand the options you have to control how your data is shared.

Google will continue to share data in some cases

Your data from all Google services, regardless of whether they are linked, may still be shared across all services for certain purposes, like preventing fraud, protecting against spam and abuse, and to comply with the law.

Your data may also be shared across Google services to effectively help you complete tasks when two services are offered together. 

About DMA and My Ad Center 

You’re in control. Your choice of which services to link changes which features available to you in My Ad Center. You can choose which of the Google services listed above are linked. You can review or change your choices anytime in your Google Account. Learn how to manage your linked services.
All My Ad Center features will be available and can help you customize the ads you see across Google when the following services are linked: Search, YouTube, Play, Shopping, and Maps.
If you don't link all of these services, some My Ad Center features won't be available to you. See the table below for more details.
  myadcenter.google.com My Ad Center on ads
Features All services are linked All services aren't linked All services are linked All services aren't linked
Customize topics and brands, using the
 See more and  See fewer buttons
Available Available with limitations Available Not available
Limit sensitive topics  Available Available with limitations N/A N/A
Like ads  Available Not available Available Not available

View recent topics and brands

 Available Not available N/A N/A

View trending topics and brands

 Available Not available N/A N/A

View recent ads in your ad history

 Available Not available N/A N/A

Verify, turn on, or turn off, the categories to show you ads

 Available Available with limitations N/A N/A

Available with limitations If you haven’t linked all of your services, these features may not be available when you visit My Ad Center on some Google services, like Search or YouTube. 

Related resources 

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