By Heejin Choi

Google’s New Privacy Policy Takes Effect

In January, Google announced that it will implement a new privacy policy, effective as of March 1st, which consolidates all its guidelines into one that applies universally to its services, including Gmail and Youtube. Under the new policy, Google can pool and merge user data from all of its services, which allows it to “better tailor search results and improve service.” Users cannot opt out of this new policy. Even though the new policy does not technically permit Google to collect more user information than under its previous policy, many experts on privacy have expressed concerns about it, the Huffington Post reports. Meanwhile, NPR has outlined some ways users can increase their privacy protections.

Internet TV Provider Aereo Faces Lawsuits

Aereo, an Internet TV provider scheduled to launch on March 14 in New York City and whose services will allow customers to watch broadcast television online using a remote antenna and a digital video recorder, said in a blog post that it was facing two federal lawsuits from a group of broadcasters, Reuters reports. The lawsuits allege violations of copyright laws, because Aereo gets broadcast channels without paying retransmission fees that cable firms are required to pay. Fox, PBS, CW, ABC, NBC, and CBS have all joined in the suit.

Yelp’s Soaring Stocks in IPO

Yelp, a popular online review site where users can search and rate local businesses, saw its stock soar in value during its initial public offering (IPO) last Friday. Yelp’s IPO was priced at $15 per share, but soon rose $9.58 to close at $24.58. Yelp has yet to generate a profit but grossed $83.3 million in ad revenue in 2011, a 74% increase from 2010. Yelp estimates that it will raise about $96 million from the IPO after expenses. This stock offering is the latest in a series of tech IPOs leading up to Facebook’s much anticipated offering this spring.