Google 's " online sales measurement " tool in the US , which tracks debit and credit card purchases in - store , has come up against privacy concerns from the federal Privacy and Information commission ( dot ) . EPIC has submitted a report to the Federal Trade Commission , asking the agency to find out how Google is able to connect in - store shopping with online browsing , which has so far remained secret . A Google post in 2016 outlined the tool 's benefits to marketers , but did not explain how it collected data . It said the tool matches " transactions back to Google ads in a secure and privacy - safe way , and … protects your personal data " .
Google's "store sales measurement" tool in the US, which tracks debit and credit card purchases in-store, has come up against privacy concerns from the Electronic Privacy and Information Center (EPIC). EPIC has submitted a complaint to the Federal Trade Commission, asking the agency to find out how Google is able to connect in-store shopping with online browsing, which has so far remained secret. A Google post in May outlined the tool's benefits to marketers, but did not explain how it collected data. It said the tool matches "transactions back to Google ads in a secure and privacy-safe way, and … protects your customer data".