When you submit photos and labels to Google, your photos and labels may be used to improve Google products, services, & machine learning technology, such as the ability to detect, understand, and label objects in photos.
An example use of this data would be to teach machines how to label an object in a photo. For example, if a user captures a photo of an animal, the machine can identify the type of animal (e.g., duck, goose, seagull).
Possible applications of this data include:
• Accessibility features for disabled populations: Users who are blind can use this technology to help interpret the world around them
• Image/Video Search: Users can find better search results about images and videos
• Augmented Reality: Google can augment objects with additional information / interactive experiences for users
Crowdsource removes detailed location information (e.g., city, state, province, etc.) from the metadata of each photo, but collects IP-based region information. Your photos are then organized using your account name and the region where the photo was uploaded. Sorting photos by region helps Google ensure the photo database represents a truly global sample, and that the technology built from it will work well for users worldwide.
When you send a photo to Google, it will be automatically deleted from your device upon upload, such as when you connect to Wi-Fi or immediately if you’ve turned on cellular data usage from the Crowdsource app’s settings. If you would like to delete your submitted photos from Google’s servers as well, you can do so from the “My Uploads” page in the Crowdsource app. The photos you send to Google will only be sent with Wi-Fi, unless you’ve turned on cellular data usage.
If you choose not to share your photos and labels with Google, your photos and labels will be immediately deleted from your device.
In certain cases, your photo submissions will be deleted by Google because they contain restricted imagery. Your photos will be deleted if they contain any of the following:
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Sensitive or personal information: Imagery containing information that reveals identity (e.g., credit card number, social security, ID card).
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Children: Imagery of anyone who looks under the age of 18.
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Offensive or sexual content: Hateful, defamatory, and offensive imagery and imagery depicting nudity, pornography, or sexual acts.
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Copyrighted content: Photos containing imagery that you do not own (i.e. copyrighted photos from publications, movies, websites, etc.).
For more information on how Google shares and manages information, see Google’s Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.