A Google spokesman called the company's user education campaign "the most extensive notification effort in Google’s history."

The study suggests that informing users within the app or website how their information is being shared is a better way to safeguard privacy.

Justin Brookman [cq], director of the Project on Consumer Privacy at the Center for Democracy and Technology, agreed.

"Privacy policies are not a great way to inform users," he said.

"When I'm trying to figure out a privacy question on Facebook, I go to the help center or FAQs or whatever it is," Brookman said. "I don't ever go to the privacy policy. Same thing with Google."