Google tracks you (but you can purge what they know)

Two days ago, I wrote about how Google tracks you. Please see https://wp.me/paAiP4-wh for a refresher.

Go to the Google Dashboard at https://myaccount.google.com/dashboard. Let’s just download this data. Click the Download your data link, which takes you to https://takeout.google.com. Scroll through this list of services Google thinks you use. Google checks all by default. At the bottom, click the Next step button.

I am choosing to export this data once, save the data as a .ZIP file and span my data across multiple .ZIP files when the files are larger than 2 GB. Click the Create export button.

Google reports “This process can take a long time (possibly hours or days) to complete. You’ll receive an email when your export is done.” Google completed my archive within 30 minutes.

Deleting tracking data

Perhaps you feel as I did, out of control. Google tracks my web and app data. They do not need to do that. Go to Google My Activity at https://myactivity.google.com/myactivity?restrict=waa and click Delete activity by.

Google tracks your web and app activity. You can delete it.

I am choosing the last option, Set up automatic deletions.

Google tracks your web and app activity. You can choose how much to keep (or delete). I chose three months.

Google confirms you always want to delete data that is older than 3 months and you want to trigger this now.

Google tracks your web and app activity. You can choose how much to keep (or delete). Google asks you to confirm before purging data from their library.

Gmail monetizes your personal information

For example, https://policies.google.com/terms?hl=en says “When you upload, submit, store, send or receive content to or through our Services, you give Google (and those we work with) a worldwide license to use, host, store, reproduce, modify, create derivative works (such as those resulting from translations, adaptations or other changes we make so that your content works better with our Services), communicate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute such content. The rights you grant in this license are for the limited purpose of operating, promoting, and improving our Services, and to develop new ones. This license continues even if you stop using our Services…”

Use email that is not free. You get a different privacy policy. I have a Gmail account, but nothing confidential and no ePHI (electronic protected health information) ever transmits through that Gmail account.

—

Content from How Hacks Happen and how to protect yourself. Visit https://howhackshappen.com and view three chapters online for FREE today or visit https://www.amazon.com/How-Hacks-Happen-protect-yourself/dp/0983576920/. By Mark Anthony Germanos, of https://cybersafetynet.net/about-cyber-safety-net/.