Data and privacy: What does Google know about me?

Most of us couldn’t imagine a world without Google. What began as a simple search engine has become firmly embedded in our lives through its numerous services. No matter what question you have, Google always seems to have an answer. But you’ve probably found yourself thinking on more than one occasion: “What does Google know about me?” Read on to learn what information Google stores about you and how you can limit what it keeps. Also discover how Avira Phantom VPN helps to further protect your privacy. 

 

How does Google collect information about me? 

Google collects information about its users in various ways. Some are obvious and some less so. The key ways include through: 

Vast amounts of data: What does Google know about me? 

It’s common knowledge that Google collects a lot of data. Users of Google as a search engine and all of the company’s apps and services reveal vast amounts about themselves. Nobody can say exactly what data is collected in detail as no official information exists. However, Google allows its users to view a lot of information and manage this data. 

One very common question people have about Google is “What does Google know about me?” But perhaps the question we should all be asking is: “What doesn’t Google know about me?” If you’re a regular user of Google’s main services (search engine, Maps, YouTube, Gmail, etc.), Google has the following information about you: 

Why does Google store this information? 

Basically, Google wants to collect as much information as possible to personalize your user experience, display targeted ads, and optimize its own services. 

Let’s take a deep dive into why Google stores your information: 

How can I see what Google knows about me? 

It’s impossible to say exactly what Google knows about you. That said, you can get a rough idea by going to your Google account. To do so, log in to your account, click your profile icon, and then select the menu item Manage Your Google Account. 

You’ll then see a dashboard with all your information and settings for your Google account. The key one to look out for is Data & privacy. Here you can see the information Google collects about you and how it’s used. 

How can I restrict what Google stores about me?  

Even though Google stores vast amounts of data about you, you can specifically limit which data Google saves. To do this, go to My Activity in your Google Account. 

Tip: If you want to temporarily prevent information about you from being stored while surfing, switch to incognito mode in your browser. 

How do I remove information stored about me from Google? 

If you want to go further than simply restricting the storage of new data about you, but also delete existing data, we’ll show you how. As mentioned already, go to My Activity, then select Web & App Activity followed by Manage all Web & App Activity and click Delete. Now select a date range: Last hour, last day, all time, or custom range. You can also choose an auto-delete option. 

If you use Chrome as your internet browser, open the more settings menu by clicking the three vertical dots. Under Settings > Privacy and security you can clear the cache and clean your browser cookies. 

If you want to delete your Google Maps location history, open Your timeline via your profile icon in the Google Maps app, tap the three horizontal buttons, and select Location and privacy settings. Tap Delete all Timeline data to remove all visits and routes. 

How to protect your privacy with Avira Phantom VPN 

The many settings in your Google account allow you to strengthen the protection of your private data for various services and apps. But Google isn’t the only company that stores and tracks your data. If you want to surf more anonymously and, especially on public hotspots, more securely, Avira Phantom VPN will help you protect your data. 

Whereas Avira Free Security protects you from spyware and malware, with our VPN tool you can conceal your tracks and current location from others. Encrypted data traffic makes it significantly more difficult for cybercriminals to gain unauthorized access to your internet-enabled devices. Additionally, Avira Phantom VPN helps you access your regular websites and media content when traveling or when abroad. 

 

Google is a trademark of Google LLC. 

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