how to see what information google has on you

How To + Security & Privacy

Everything Google Knows nearly Y'all (and How to Search Privately)

Posted on November 28th, 2017 by

"Why don't you just Google it?"

You have probably said this when people asked you questions, and you lot've certainly heard other people suggest this method of finding out data. You may use Google to go sports scores, to find how to exercise something on your Mac, to search for information on a vacation destination, to find recipes, and much more. After all, Google is the world's most popular go-to tool for accessing information.

But Google is not your only search engine option, and certainly non the nigh private. Have you lot ever wondered what Google knows almost yous? You might be surprised by how much Google knows almost you, and you may want to alter that. Desire to search more than privately? Of course you practise!

Read on and we'll bear witness yous how to find out everything Google knows about you, every bit well as how to change some search settings. And if you don't like what yous see, we as well offer suggestions for two other search engines that aren't as creepy as Google.

What Google Knows About You

Google knows a lot about you. When you type a few words into a search box, you may not realize it, but Google records a neat deal of information virtually you and your search.

Google is open about the data they collect. When you search on Google, they collect the following data:

• Things you search for
• Websites you visit
• Videos you watch
• Ads you click on or tap
• Your location
• Device information
• IP accost and cookie data

This data is stored in a cookie, which identifies y'all and your device and which is linked to a contour of y'all in Google'due south data centers. By triangulating that data, Google tin can know even more about you, because they rails yous beyond websites using cookies that respond to their advertizement code. In this way, they know what yous search for when you use Google, but as well any time you surf the Web.

Sure, non all websites use Google Ads, but most use Google Analytics, a complimentary tool that provides statistics to webmasters. Then even if you use an advertisement blocker and don't see Google ads, chances are that virtually websites yous visit are still aggregating data about you.

How to Run across What Google Knows

Dorsum in the day, all of this data was kept secret. Over time, Google opened up to let users to run across some of information technology. You can go to the My Activity page on Google to see everything Google knows most you lot.

You'll find every search you lot've made, well-nigh of the websites y'all've visited — because of Google Analytics — and fifty-fifty more if y'all're signed into a Google business relationship. If y'all've used a Google app, then that data shows upwards every bit well. Hither's an example: on October 1, my Google activity lists 140 items:

A number of them were searches in Google Maps, some were general spider web searches, some were prototype searches, and some were news searches.

If you go to the Other Google Action page, you can meet more than. There yous tin see your location history (if y'all've allowed Google to collect your location), and whatever device information which "stores a re-create of the contacts, calendars, apps, and other data from your devices," if you let this. And in that location'due south more on this page, such as Google Play Sound history — if you apply this feature — and YouTube "not interested" feedback. You lot can command some of these features on the Activeness Control page.

Y'all can besides download an annal of your past searches from this folio. Y'all might want to do this to see what you've searched, and you might be surprised by what yous find if you're a long-fourth dimension Google user.

How to Manage Google Ads Settings

Google lets you meet its Ads Settings. You lot tin see what it thinks y'all're interested in, and y'all tin exclude sure topics. But these topics are vague enough as to non be very useful.

On this page, there'southward a link to the AdChoices folio, where you can turn off personalized ads from more than 100 companies. Or you lot tin can only turn off ad personalization globally by clicking the toggle near the top of this page.

Other Search Engine Options

At present that you've been freaked out by everything Google knows about you, it's time to remember about whether it's worthwhile to switch search engines. Sure, you could use Bing or Yahoo!, but those search engines piece of work in a similar way to Google; they only aren't every bit big.

DuckDuckGo

At that place are ii useful options to consider if yous want to break the Google addiction. The first is DuckDuckGo. Apple offers this as a search engine option in macOS and iOS.

To utilize DuckDuckGo by default on the Mac, go to Safari > Preferences, then click Search. Choose DuckDuckGo from the Search Engine menu.

To apply DuckDuckGo by default on iOS, go to Settings > Safari > Search Engine and make the change.

DuckDuckGo claims the following:

• We don't store your private data.
• We don't follow you around with ads.
• We don't rails you. Ever.

You'll immediately detect different search results, in part because searches aren't personalized, merely also because the mode DuckDuckGo indexes the web is different from what Google does.

DuckDuckGo does serve ads (via Yahoo!), merely they're related to your searches, not to any previous browsing history. They also evidence Amazon chapter links, so if yous purchase anything on Amazon from these links, DuckDuckGo makes money from your purchases (at no cost to y'all). This lone probably generates a huge corporeality of revenue for the company.

(Notation that there is a DuckDuckGo extension for Safari that gives you a number of options for using this service.)

StartPage

Another search engine to explore is StartPage, which gives you the ability of Google searches without the tracking. Information technology is a gateway to Google searches, but that is completely bearding. None of your personal info is sent to Google. (RELATED: Meet StartPage, the Earth's Almost Private Search Engine.)

The company funds this service by displaying ads at the top of the page, all of which are served by Google — which can be a bit confusing — but that merely respond to your search terms, not to your activity or any identifying information.

StartPage isn't a default choice in either macOS or iOS, only yous tin can add an extension to Safari, which forces the search bar to use StartPage, or get a mobile app.

So if you recollect Google knows too much about you, you take two good options for searching privately. Take reward of these and click the Google habit.

Despite its privacy woes, is Google yet your favorite, go-to search engine? If you're considering switching to a more than private search engine, do y'all adopt DuckDuckGo or StartPage? Take something else to say almost this story? Drop us a comment below!

About Kirk McElhearn

Kirk McElhearn writes nearly Apple tree products and more on his blog Kirkville. He is co-host of the Intego Mac Podcast, as well as several other podcasts, and is a regular contributor to The Mac Security Blog, TidBITS, and several other websites and publications. Kirk has written more than two dozen books, including Take Control books about Apple tree'southward media apps, Scrivener, and LaunchBar. Follow him on Twitter at @mcelhearn. View all posts by Kirk McElhearn →

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Source: https://www.intego.com/mac-security-blog/everything-google-knows-about-you-and-how-to-search-privately/

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