We all have heard how Google is unifying their Privacy Policy, but the reasons why its happening now is not too clear. I think it might be happening right now for a unannounced (rumored) project that Google has been working on. This product is Majel, Google's answer to Apple's Siri.

Now why would Google need to do something so drastic for Majel? I speculate that Majel will be the product that will bridge all of Google's services together. Majel will be able to search your Gmail, Google Docs, Calendar, Google+, Google Books, Google Music, YouTube, Photos, make posts to Blogger, get directions for you with Google Maps, tell you the weather, inform you how much money you have made on your stock portfolio, use Google Cloud Print from your phone, and so much more. To summarize: Majel will give you a level of control over your Google account that you have never had before.

There is a problem though, Google needs to overcome barriers that exists with its large collection of privacy policies. Majel would need access to all these products; and getting that access on your Google account would require you to reach an application permission page for each product. Majel would need broad access to your account; and with so many different privacy policies Majel would be handicapped.

So now that Google is consolidating their privacy policy, they are eliminating an obstacle that would prevent Majel from pulling necessary information to perform its complex functions.

We should all hope that the unified privacy policy will enable Google to innovate in ways that we only dreamed of, starting with Majel.