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Take back control of your data from Google

Source: Vsoftsystems, 15/09/2018


When Google is providing you with its suite of services, it doesn`t
just have you in mind, but its shareholders also. Google makes its
money, an extraordinary amount of money - around $75bn a year - by
using your data. Yep, that`s right. Your data.

Whenever you use Google’s services - whether it’s a quick search, to
find directions or to catch up with your favourite YouTube star -
Google is harvesting information about what you’re doing. And that’s
not something Google tries to hide either.

Its entire business model is built on using what it knows about you to
sell targeted advertising to its business customers. It’s a model that
is used by many Silicon Valley giants who provide seemingly “free”
services, including notably, Facebook.
So what can you do about it?

Well, there’s always the nuclear option - which includes completely
removing your dependence on Google’s services. However, Google offers
some incredibly useful tools that you’d be forgiven for not being
ready to give up. But thankfully, you can take back some control of
your data.
Your searches

Google’s search is still by far its most-used product. After all, it’s
what the tech giant is known for. With that in mind, it’s no surprise
that Google keeps a record of your search activity. And if you’re a
Chrome user - which is over 60% of internet users - Google might be
holding on to your internet history too. Google’s My Activity page
will show you all the data it has collected from your activity.

From this interface, Google will allow you to clear out the data it
holds on you, but by heading to the more deeply buried activity
controls page, you can toggle off tracking for web activity. This will
tell Google to stop storing not only your search history, but also
your Chrome history and sites that use Google services. But it won’t
stop you from using Google’s services.
Your voice

Perhaps the most controversial data Google stores about its users is
voices. Again, this isn’t a practice that Google hides. Through voice
search and its Android voice assistant, Google records any voice input
that you provide it with. But perhaps more surprisingly, Google
actually lets users listen back on their voice recordings. Of course,
Google uses that data to in order to serve more relevant ads, just as
it does with regular Google searches.

Thankfully, Google also makes it pretty easy to turn off voice and
audio activity when you’re turning off your wider search activity. You
just need to head to the Voice and Audio Activity page and click
“manage activity” to turn the feature off. From there, Google will
also let you manage the voice data it already stores from you. Google
has made an increased effort lately to be more transparent in what
data it stores and crucially, letting you opt out of storing that data.
Your location

If it wasn’t already abundantly clear, Google stores a lot of data
about you. It’s a model the tech giant has built its business on. But
perhaps some of the most intrusive data Google stores about you
includes your every move.

If you own a phone running Google’s mobile OS - Android - or use
Google Maps on iOS, chances are, you’ve granted Google access to your
location.

You can see how Google puts this information to use on the timeline
page. This Google Map provides a complete history of your location,
providing you were signed into your Google account on a compatible
device. For users who carry their phone everywhere they go, this could
mean Google has been following you everywhere. It’s a little creepy
and that’s something Google knows; which is why using its location
activity controls, you can turn off Google’s ability to store your
location.

Of course, Apple awards iOS users with a further control over how
third parties can use your location. Within iOS’ settings, you can
choose to only allow Google Maps to access your location whilst using
the app. This is an option for any app using location services and is
generally best practice. That being said, it’s worth remembering that
Apple also tracks your device’s location too in order to provide
location information to friends and in the event that you lose your
device.
A step further

If you’re still having a little trouble trusting Google with your
privacy, there’s still a number of further measures you can take. An
obvious measure would be to use Google’s services with reserve and
without an account. However, this can restrict which services you’re
able to access. Meanwhile, there’s a number of widely-respected tools
for helping you curb privacy concerns, not just as far as Google is
concerned, but across the web.

Ghostery is a browser add-on that promises to anonymise your data
online through a host of anti-tracking measures. Of course, your
browser most likely also provides a number of facilities for
preventing tracking. This could be counterintuitive if you’re a Google
Chrome user, but Firefox, from the non-profit Mozilla is a solid
browser choice for those with deep-rooted privacy concerns.

Of course, another now widely used solution is a VPN. These services
are designed to tunnel your internet traffic through a remote, and
crucially, anonymous network. There’s a number of such services
available, each offering a varying level of privacy protection.
However, our all-round top choice is ExpressVPN.
The nuclear option

Of course, even after imposing restrictions on how Google uses your
data and you’re still not comfortable, there’s only really one option.
The nuclear option.

Deleting your Google account and stopping your use of their services
will undoubtedly be something of a hinderance, but it’s the only way
to ensure the tech giant has no control over your privacy. You can
manage your account through your Google Dashboard, where you’ll be
able to download any data that Google stores about you, before finally
deleting your account.

Cutting off all ties to Google may seem a little extreme, but there is
alternatives. DuckDuckGo is a favourite option amongst searchers who
don’t wish to be tracked. And if you’re still looking to take
advantage of Google’s power, but without the tracking, StartPage
claims to offer just that.

Meta Description: Google, much like other Silicon Valley tech giants
has come under increasing pressure because of how it uses your data.
So how can you take back control of your data from Google?


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