![](\"http:\/\/www.blog.buprojects.uk\/2016-2017\/willvallins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/119\/2017\/01\/Google-through-a-magnifying-glass.png\")
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Google knows what you\u2019ve been searching.<\/strong><\/p>\n Google Chrome is Google\u2019s very own internet browser, and is\u00a0optimised for using their search engine. It is one of the most popular internet browsers to date. Chrome clocks millions of users every day, with every search being recorded into their data files. This applies to any device you\u2019ve used it on, so be it on your phone, your computer, your tablet etc. everything is being noted down. Everything from your normal searches about the policies of your particular political party, to your slightly less than normal activity of binge watching serial killer documentaries at 3 in the morning on Netflix (we\u2019ve all been there). Google knows. And Google judges.<\/p>\n Furthermore, Google even keeps a timeline containing everything you\u2019ve ever searched, going so far as to timestamp each piece of your internet search history, so you can look back and reminisce on some of your darkest hours.<\/p>\n Google knows who you\u2019ve been talking to.<\/strong><\/p>\n As well as storing data on all of our searches and our browsing history, Google also keeps tabs on who we speak to over a variety of Google platforms such as; Gmail, and their social network Google +.\u00a0This allows them to create a virtual \u201cfriends list\u201d for us with our BFF\u2019s at the top of that list. You can view the people you have interacted with most by clicking the “Contacts” header on\u00a0Google’s account dashboard.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Google knows how you sound.<\/strong><\/p>\n If you\u2019re the kind of person who doesn\u2019t mind looking like a bit of a mug by talking to their phone instead of typing out your query like a normal person, then this one applies to you. Google actively records and stores every audio interaction you have made with it, keeping actual voice recordings and all. You can actually listen to these recordings by finding your way to the “Voice & Audio” section\u00a0of Google’s My Activity site to view a comprehensive list of everything you’ve ever said to Google. Weird, isn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n Google knows where you\u2019ve been.<\/strong><\/p>\n Whenever you\u2019ve used Google maps, which is fairly frequently for most tech-savvy people, isn\u2019t it a little bit creepy that Google keeps tabs on exactly when and where you\u2019ve been whilst using maps? Every single time you\u2019ve used maps to get somewhere, no matter what country you were in, Google has recorded data on exactly where you went, keeping details such as how long it took you to get there, and which route you chose to take. Obviously, this is all to improve the experience of Google maps, but I for one still think it\u2019s pretty creepy.<\/p>\n Even more creepily; If you carry an Android phone and have\u00a0opted into location history, Google will track your location for every second of every day. Whilst it is fairly cool that you can use this to view a timeline on your PC of some of your most visited places, it is also disturbing to have the knowledge that Google knows exactly where you are at any given time of day.<\/p>\n Google knows what you\u2019ve done.<\/strong><\/p>\n If you happen to possess an android phone connected to your Google account, then you can be sure that Google is keeping tabs on literally everything you do on your phone, from browsing the internet, to spending hours trying to defeat TheLegend27 on Game of War who can hurl a boulder farther then a catapult.<\/p>\n Taking back control of your data.<\/strong><\/p>\n If, like me, you want to turn off specific types of data collection Google uses, or delete some existing information from your Google account history, then you should check out the\u00a0Google privacy site<\/a>. Here Google provides the details about how each type of data is used along with helpful links, in order to opt out of any specific data collection methods that they employ.<\/p>\n If the topics discussed in this blog surrounding the data collection Google uses with Android phones, you are able to restrict their \u2018levels of snoopiness\u2019 by opening the system settings and selecting Google. You then select “Personal info & privacy.” Here you are able to decide what you want Google to know about you, and what you don\u2019t want them to know.<\/p>\n Thanks for reading.<\/p>\n Will.<\/p>\n Sources:<\/p>\n http:\/\/www.internetlivestats.com\/google-search-statistics\/<\/a><\/p>\n![\"google-contacts\"](\"http:\/\/www.blog.buprojects.uk\/2016-2017\/willvallins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/119\/2017\/01\/Google-contacts.jpg\")
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