Google is important, Google isn’t particularly evil, but like any internet behemoth it has to be monitored so it doesn’t take the piss.
To that end, if you don’t manually opt out, then Google can use your image in any advertising that it does. We are happy for Google to help discovery our profiles and improve our authority, but using our images for their advertising is one such example of taking the mick.
So here is how you opt of it:
1. Go to plus.google.com/settings/endorsements
2. Even if you don’t have a Google + account, you can still do this if you leave comments on YouTube or Blogger
3. On this page you will find the ‘Shared Endorsements’ page, which does a good job about exciting you with how your profile/image helps you share things more easily, but is another way of using your profile/image in its advertising
4. There is a ticked box at the bottom of the page that says ‘Based on my activity, Google may show my name and profile photo in shared endorsements that appear in ads’
5. If you unclick this box, then Google can’t use your profile/image in its advertising
6. Now you know