Google launches their new Ads Preferences service today. It uses cookies to track Web users across any Web sites on which AdSense is running and place them into one of 600 interest categories. This is Google’s first foray into behavioral targeting, and it’s a big one.

Google hopes that the tools they have built that allow users to see exactly what information Google has gathered will reassure authorities – especially in Europe – that a sufficient level of privacy is guaranteed.

And, it means that you can actually tell Google which categories you are interested in. This is apparently good for you because you have control over which ads you see rather than the ad network, but it’s even better for Google because they’re going to be able to use your preference corrections to tweak their algorithms.

Target yourself. It’s good for Google.