Let’s face it- technology has changed the world as we know it. Long gone are the days when personal privacy was at the top of the priority list. As a matter of fact, it is common nature to fill your social media pages with a variety of information, starting from the picture of your old girlfriend to what your family had for dinner. But what if a Facebook search was not all you have to worry about? What if search engines know everything about your life?
Enter Google.
It is safe to say that the most renowned search engine no longer represents innocent searches. Google does not just know a little about you; it probably knows everything you do. Here are the creepy things Google knows about you:
• Your private searches
According to statistics, Google processes more than 3.5 billion searches a day. While nothing can limit your searchability, it is not uncommon to delete your search history, especially when you want to find unorthodox information. Well, Google keeps a record of all your activities through its special settings (history.google.com/history). No matter how many times you delete your search history, it is permanently recorded. To ensure your complete search privacy, it is best to turn on the incognito mode every now and again. Just as its name suggests, this special window gives you the confidence to type anything into the search box as it will never show up in your search history.
• Your location
Whenever you use Google maps, you give the search engine access to your current location. This is because the application records all the places you visit as well as their corresponding dates. If you do not want anyone to find out when you went to Prague, you should not make public searches from this location.
• Your phone interaction
Anyone with an Android phone is prone to Google-based snooping. The search engine keeps tabs on your contacts as well as all the applications you download from the Google store. As with the search history on your computer, searches on your phone are also recorded. If you download a lot of food apps, do not be surprised if you see a handful of advertisements from food companies. Thank Google for this.
• Your voice
Whenever you give voice commands such as ‘ok Google’, through your phone, then your voice is automatically recorded in the search engine’s database. When you think no one else is listening, you can find out everything you have ever said and what you sound like through Google’s voice & Audio settings.
By this point, you may feel like your privacy has been violated. However, all is not lost. If maintaining privacy is essential to you, worry not!
The search engine does not have to collect all your data. Google provides a privacy site where you can opt-out of any specific area. There are also on-off toggles that you can tweak in the ‘settings’ section. This will give you a little more control of what you do on the search engine.
Now you know – And Google knows too.
What else do you know that Google knows about us?
