Google has your information, but you can control it! Here's how...

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Google collects your data when you’re using its products, in order to make its services better for you and all other end users. Several articles have taken a somehow Orwellian view on the information that has been collected by the company and how worrisome it might be. But you shouldn’t be as long as you know which information is collected and how to manage it! 

Google has also explicitly acknowledged  that when you use their products, you are trusting them with your data and it is their responsibility to be clear about that. Therefore they made an entire section on their privacy site about what is stored and how it’s stored. 
Here’s a quick guide on how to find out which data is being collected about you and how you can personalize your security and privacy settings. 

Review your basic account information


Some of the basic information that might be stored about you is:
Your name, email, phone number, birthday, gender, “about me” section, Google+ Settings, Location Sharing & Search Settings.
How?


STEP 1: Log into your account
There are a few different ways to log into your account information; you could log into your Gmail and select the app drawer icon at the top > then select where it says “Account”, or you can simply go to myaccount.google.com.

STEP 2: Under the menu that says “Your Personal info & Privacy”, click on “Your personal info”. STEP 3: See your personal information overview and edit whatever you would like to see!

Check-Ins and Places you have been

When you use the Google Maps app or have your GPS on and use your browser, your phone sends anonymous bits of data about your location back to Google. Google's Location Timeline shows a complete guide to everywhere you've been, in addition to your home and work, which you may have saved.

How?

You can turn off Location History for your account at any time.


On your smartphone, open your device's Settings app Settings app and then Google and then Google Account.
STEP 1: At the top, tap on Data & personalization. STEP 2: Under "Activity controls," and then Location History and then Manage settings STEP 3: Change whether your account or your devices can report Location History to Google:
  • Your account & all your devices - At the top, turn Use Location History on or off.
  • Only a certain device- Under "This device" or "Other devices on this account," turn the device on or off.
  • If you're on a browser- go to the Activity controls section of your Google Account. At the top, turn Location History on or off.
You can click here to learn more about your location history!

Manage your topics of interest


As users browse Google sites like YouTube and other partner websites, Google stores an advertising cookie in a user's browser to understand the types of content that the user is viewing. This information is used to show ads that might appeal to you  based on your your inferred interests and demographics.


For example, if  you browse many fitness websites or watch workout-related videos on YouTube, Google may associate a fitness interest with your cookie or Google Account 

How?

In order to edit your information or topics of interests,

STEP 1: Go to the Ad Settings page.
If you aren't signed in, at the top right, select Sign in. Follow the steps.
STEP 2:Turn on Ad Personalization if it’s off.
STEP 3: Under "How your ads are personalized," select your personal info or interests.
To update your info, select Update.
To remove an interest, select Turn off.

Notice that if you turn off Ads Personalization while you are signed in, Google will stop showing you ads related to your interests across Google services as well as websites and apps that partnered with them.

Check and Manage all Apps & Sites you accessed with your Account

Accessing different apps and websites with your Facebook or Google account can make things way easier and faster. The downside? Sometimes because it’s so easy to do it, you forget easily to which services and sites you signed with your account. But don’t worry as Google can remind you of that and you can see how to unsubscribe to those services or manage them directly from your account!

How?

STEP 1: Log into your account STEP 2: Click on “Personal Info & Privacy”
STEP 3: On the left menu of your screen where it says “Sign in & Security”, click where it says “Apps with Account Access”

STEP 4 : Keep track of which apps or services you gave permission to access your account, and remove the ones you no longer use or trust!

Manage your Activity 


Remember that Google not only saves the information that makes you ‘you’, but also the things you do and create when using their services and sites like Youtube, Calendars, Google Maps, etc. My Activity is the central place where you can find things you have searched, viewed, and watched using their services. You can see and permanently permanently delete specific activities if you want to at any time.

How?


STEP 1: Log into your account 

STEP 2: In the middle menu of your account (under “Personal Info & Privacy”), you will see the option to go to your activity at the bottom. If you’re already logged in, then you can simply go to myactivity.google.com 
STEP 3: To eliminate any kind of activity associated to your account all you have to do is clicking at the upper right site of each activity, the three dot icon for more options and then click on “Delete”.
STEP 4: Now that you’re at your timeline you will notice that this one has been divided by date and categories, but not everything is at simple sight. If you would like to see more than just your activity from certain categories, just click on the left menu where it says “Other Google Activity”.

 Manage your Overall Privacy Settings 


Remember that ignorance can create fear, therefore thoughts about feeling that we can’t get a hold of our own information out there, But as you can see, “knowledge is power”... Quite literally! Want to limit what Google can find and share about you beyond tips above? Then you can’t miss the Privacy Checkup tool. With this tool you’ll be able to manage the types of data Google collects, update what personal information you make public, and adjust the types of ads you would like Google to show you in a matter of minutes!


Found this information useful? 


Share it with your friends and colleagues. You can also follow us in our social networks for further updates, and if you would like to receive more guidance on how to manage your G Suite account don’t hesitate to contact us!




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