• by Laurie Sullivan , Staff Writer @lauriesullivan, May 30, 2017

Google is testing a new filter in the main Google search engine to show personal results. The feature is making the rounds for anyone with a personal Google account while doing searches signed in.

The "Personal" drop-down option under the "More" tab in the Google's search toolbar displays content related to the person doing the search, including emails that appear in their Gmail account and personal notations or events in their calendar.  

The tab serves up visible information only to the person. The information it serves includes events, bills, package deliveries, reservations, flights and photos from a specific trip or time frame.

The data labeled "Personal" will surely become another targeting category for search, display, video and other media across Google's advertising network. Google acknowledges that it will keep all this information private, but it doesn't stop the company from using the data in audience segments to build out targeting options.

The feature began with listing personal airline flights in a box above organic public search results. Airline flight and time information sent to travelers in their Gmail account would automatically appear in their search results when doing a travel-related search, along with the frequent flyer number associated with the trip.

Google continually experiments with search and advertising features on its engine and across its network of sites. 

Preventing Google from serving up the private results requires the person to go into their Google Account in the Search Settings and click on the box that reads "Do not use private results."

Google explains that for desktop and mobile, Private results will stay turned off as long as the person remains signed into their Google Account. If private results are off, the user may still see results based on their Web & App Activity.