See What Google Knows About You

Who let Google off the hook?

Google gathers more data like every website you visit, locations history of every place you go, everything you search, what’s in your calendar, documents your write, email received from a Gmail account.

We haven’t even gotten into what the owner of the Android operating platform is also recording from your non-Apple mobile phone.

Speaking of which, Apple’s CEO Tim Cook is smelling like a rose right now as the privacy policies of Apple seem pristine and well thought out compared to major tech companies like Google and Facebook.

In fact, while they differ in approach, Tim Cook was first to invite the conversation about regulation in Silicon Valley. Zuckerberg initially shot back at Apple’s leader but now in front of the senate while under testimony seems to agree to the idea of regulation.

Here’s what I know. You are the best at determining what level of privacy you should have, what data should be collected about you, and how it is used. Right now, our control over these areas of our lives seems out of control.

To Google’s credit, they do a substantially better job at making privacy control understandable. Don’t let that make you think they care about you as a human being as much as they value you as a commodity.

Table of Contents:

What does Google know about you?

Name
Your Employer
Home Address
Birthdate
Mobile numbers
Recent Google Searches
Everywhere you have gone
YouTube videos
Recorded voice searches

STEP 1: How to check what Google knows about you

1) Logon to your Google Account
2) Goto “Personal Info & Privacy”
3) Click “Privacy Checkup”
4) Click “My Activity” shows personal data collected

What Google knows about you:

Name
Your employer
Home Address
Birthdate
Mobile numbers
Recent Google searches
Everywhere you have gone
YouTube video searches
recorded voice searches

STEP 2: How to limit what Google knows about you

1) Logon to your Google Account
2) Goto “Personal Info & Privacy”
3) Click “Privacy Checkup”
4) Click “My Activity” shows personal data collected

STEP 3: How to download a copy of everything Google knows about you

1/ Go to takeout.google.com
2/ Check all google products you want to include in the report
3/ Download zip file of the 33 google areas

More to know about taking back your privacy here

STEP 4: How to delete everything Google knows about you

Google captures everything it can about you.

Now that people are more aware of how much of their lives are being scalped for profits that you and I will never see and at a cost that we may one day regret, we can do one thing to delete our search history. Google is the masterful example of leveraging our most private and personal details in life and selling them on the open market.

Follow these steps to quickly and easily delete your Google search history.

Best ways to browse the internet privately

Map buried inside your phone reveals where you have been and photos you snapped there

More ways to take back your privacy:

2 comments

Scott Grundy April 13, 2018 - 5:42 pm

Saw you on F&F today. Always enjoy the information you share. I’m checking my Google activity as I write this. Thanks for sharing this. I’m a tech guy too and security is very important.

Thanks for sharing your tips and tricks. I enjoy them and appreciate them.

Jenessa January 8, 2021 - 8:21 pm

While I was quite aware of the voice search recordings Google has stored up on most people going back SEVERAL YEARS(I listened to a small portion of mine 3 or so years ago, just before deleting them ALL), it’s a welcome reminder. I’ve been a bit lazier, using the voice search tool, Hey Google summons up lately & it’s time I tidied up that entire aspect of my acct. So ty very much??good looking out!