June 28, 2021
2801
0Your Google Web Activity is Monitored
We hope that our readers do not believe in the fairy tales that our earth stands on three turtles and two dolphins and have long known that Google monitors their actions on the internet around the clock. Moreover, they are aware that all their search queries, orders over the internet, and even activities in web services and applications are monitored and stored for many years.
The list of things Google knows about you is almost endless. However, it is important to emphasize two things here: the first is that Google collects your data, and the second is what Google then does with it.
Read more about Google data tracking here.
When commenting on the surveillance of users, the company always refers to the privacy policy, which each new user agrees to before starting work. And without consent, it is impossible to start using Google. Allegedly, this data improves the use of the service and offers native advertising.
Today, we’ve decided to deal with the concepts of Web & App Activity and finally conclude whether your browser or search engine should collect such extensive data about you or not.
What is Web & App Activity?
The Web and App Activity is a particular Google option that saves all your activity in all Google apps and services. Your online and app activity includes what you do in Google services, such as Maps, Search, and Play. This may also include things you do on sites, apps, and devices that use Google Services. In addition, the activity you save provides you with more personalized features, such as faster search and more useful apps and content recommendations.
This is the official version. But what Google searches are monitored?
In fact, the service has terabytes of data about literally every internet activity of users. The task of Google, like any commercial structure in this world, is to make money. One way is to sell ads more effectively. To do this, the service collects a huge amount of information about everything. After all, you register and use the product for free, and you have to pay for each one “for free”, one way or another.
Even Google private internet mode can’t save you from data tracking.
Why should you limit Web & App Activity?
You should limit the data that Google collects by default, if only because your personal information may fall into the wrong hands. And not only if someone hacks into your account.
Your information may be passed on to outsiders. Perfectly legal. The user agreement clearly states that Google can send your confidential information to:
- Private companies (if you have given your consent.) Example from Google: “If you use Google Home to contact the driver call service, we will provide your address to this service only with your permission.”
- Google affiliates and other trusted companies and persons for processing on behalf of Google.
- Law enforcement agencies, security forces, and the FSB.
- Publishers, advertisers, and developers.
Once you have created your account, Google begins collecting information about you and your activities.
Whenever you search for something on the internet or use any applications on your computer, tablet, or phone, all your activity is recorded.
If you use Gmail, you should know that all your sent and incoming emails pass through a special scanner that reads them. Any information you receive or send is already known to the company. Even if you delete an email immediately after reading it, it does not mean that it is actually deleted. All deleted copies are stored on Google servers, and they will never be deleted. Let’s say goodbye to our privacy.
And this is just a small example. In reality, the picture looks more tragic.
Do you use Google Voice? Stop doing it! Read the article to know why it is dangerous.
How to delete Google Web Activity?
Fortunately for users, Google can automatically delete data about the web activity of internet users. For this, open the My Activity page in Google.
1. First, you need to log in to your Google account. After that, you will be able to open a page with Internet activity.
2. Now, you need to find and click on the “choose to delete automatically” button in the “Web & App Activity” section. You can find this button at the top.
3. Google will ask you to choose when the data storage is available: from 3 to 18 months. Then, you need to click on the Next button.
4. Now, the service will display the data that the new settings will delete.
5. Confirm the actions on this page and activate the new settings.
After that, the service will confirm the deletion of the data, and the button “Web & App Activity” will be changed to “choose the duration of storage” and “automatically delete” when setting up automatic deletion of activity data.
Google will then delete all activity data when it exceeds the selected storage limit.
But is it that simple?
Keep in mind that just because you’ve set up some Google setting, it doesn’t stop to track your online or offline activity and completely closes your data to Google. Google has acknowledged that it can track your physical location even if you turn off location services using information obtained from Wi-Fi and other wireless signals near your phone.
Not to mention that there are sometimes contradictions between Google’s statements on privacy issues. For example, Google recently admitted to scanning your Gmail messages to make a list of your purchases. And of course, this is not the only one case.
If you want Google to really know nothing about you, it is better not to use it but to choose alternative services. For example, Utopia P2P is a decentralized, anonymous ecosystem that does not track users or store their data.
The ecosystem is a closed platform that provides Internet users with everything they need for secure chatting, data transfer, browsing, online payments, and even eco-friendly mining, which requires only the internet.
Even when registering, the user does not need to enter personal data. The only thing you need to do is come up with a nickname and the ecosystem will generate a private key that will unlock access to the use of Utopia.
Most importantly, you can forget about online surveillance, data leaks, and even censorship using the ecosystem. No one knows your real IP address, name, or phone number. Each user is absolutely free in their actions and desires. In addition, you do not need to look for options for deleting history or data that may have leaked to the network.
Utopia is a worthy alternative not only to Google but also to many other platforms and services. After all, just 30 minutes of use can change the approach to using the World Wide Web.
If you want a safe place, then Utopia is for you!
