How do I know what data Google collects about you, and get rid of surveillance

Technologies / by admin / December 19, 2019

Why is Google collecting user data

Google is watching us, and it has long been for anybody not a secret. Monitors both our location, and all activities on the Internet. You probably have noticed that it is necessary to search the web for information about any product or read an article about it, how do you then show relevant advertising on YouTube. If Google does not collect data about their users, advertising would not be personalized and therefore simply do not work.

What is the danger of data collection

On the one hand, it seems that there is nothing wrong in all this. Well, Google collects data about us, what now, do not use the services of the company? After all, thanks to your presence in the Internet becomes more interesting and more useful: you are advised that, most likely, you will be interested.

But if you remember recent incident with indexing Google Docs, sneaking doubts: whether besides Google-then who would not be able to obtain data about where you live and how fond of? There are no guarantees, so it pays to take care of themselves.

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What Google knows about you

location History

First and most important - it's your geolocation. With it, Google may monitor and record your location, and only on the basis of these data to offer you personalized advertising. You can go to link and make sure that Google remembers even those places that you may have forgotten themselves.

In the upper left corner, you can choose any date, and will be shown on the map where you have been, how much, and even some transport to move around.

Search history and activities on the Internet

Google not only stores your searches, but also a list of articles that you read, profiles people in social networks, which you have visited the page. See for yourself by clicking on this link.

Information from your devices

Data about your contacts, your plans in the calendar, alarm clock application that you are using your music preferences and even the battery charge level - another list of data about you that Google collects to display more relevant advertising. List all the data you can see here.

Voice calls and voice control of smartphone

If you are familiar with the phrase "Ok, Google», congratulations: your voice commands to control your smartphone, as well as voice search queries stored on Google's servers. You can listen to them by clicking this link. And if you happen to leakage of data, it is possible that not just you.

Promotional information about you

For Google, the main purpose of gathering data about users - Personalization of advertisingBecause it is at this company makes money. You can discoverWhat about your interests and preferences known to advertisers, and finally get rid of annoying advertising products that you have something of an absurd accident decided to find on the Internet.

Photos from your smartphone

If you use a smartphone on Android, perhaps, your photos and videos are already stored in the cloud Google store, and you do not even know about it, because it could be auto-loading is enabled by Default. Do not rush to remove the Google Photo app - it does not improve the situation. All your photos will continue to fly in the cloud and in the case of data leakage may be in the public domain. Google had written instructions how to disable startup photos and videos on different devices.

Your cookie-files

Have you noticed how many resources your computer consumes Google Chrome? The browser collects information about you and work background, even after the full closure, but also stores your files cookie. How and why does Google use these files - you can learn here.

If you do not want the tabs to continue working in the background, go to settings in Chrome browser under "System" deselect "Do not turn off the run in the background when you close services browser. " It is only available for Windows-based version, users macOS such item in the Chrome does not. If you need to disable the collection of you and use the cookie data at the bottom of the page, click on the button "Advanced Settings", go to the "Content Settings" and turn off all the things that would not want to talk about themselves and their actions.

To delete all information about yourself and to prohibit their further collection

To start, you should go to this link and to disable the collection of data that you do not want to transfer Google and advertisers. All items collected in one place, which is very convenient.

Then you need to delete the data about you which have already been collected. To do this, click on the following linkIndicate period (to remove all the data at once, you can select "All Time"), select the services one at a time or all Google services and boldly press the delete button.

Change your name, date of birth and other personal data, you can here.

Also, if you do not use Google Pay for contactless purchases and do not buy on the Google Play app checkIt is not stored there in your Google of payment information, which can also be removed.