How much does Google track of my information?

[dlalonde]

About Google tracking, privacy and other such concerns

Hello,

I'm currently on Windows Phone. But I'm getting tired of it not knowing where it's going, the lack of apps and the impression that we're always begging for apps to be created.

Plus I absolutely love the look and feel of Lollipop.

So I'm looking into getting an Android device but one thing still makes me hesitate: Google and their general attitude towards privacy.

A company ruled by a man that says things like "If you have something that you don’t want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn’t be doing it in the first place" is dangerous. For instance, I don't want Google to have pictures of my children. It's not just a question of I don't want them knowing what I'm searching or generally doing. Just that there are some things I choose not to put on the Internet and I shouldn't have a company that decides they're going to their hands on the information I have on my mobile phone.

So here's my main question: does Google track, copy, look at the information I have on my phone and what I do, where I go and so on? In other words, how much of an urban legend is this?

Other wise, what I put on Google's servers, I don't mind it. If they go though my email for ads (through automatic scripts) I don't mind it. But what I keep inside my phone should remain my business.

Thanks!

 

[belodion]

Re: About Google tracking, privacy and other such concerns

This might help:
http://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/terms/

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[dlalonde]

Re: About Google tracking, privacy and other such concerns

Yeah but if one wants to know if Google is spying on one's phone maybe it's best not to ask Google. Remember the whole wifi data collection debacle?

I'm talking about unofficial discoveries. Anything we know for sure?

 

[Crashdamage]

Re: About Google tracking, privacy and other such concerns

So...you have a Windows phone and, one would then assume, very likely a Windows computer, but you're more concerned about Google...OK...

Android since v1.0. Linux user since 2001.

 

[dlalonde]

Re: About Google tracking, privacy and other such concerns

So...you have a Windows phone and, one would then assume, very likely a Windows computer, but you're more concerned about Google...OK...

Android since v1.0. Linux user since 2001.

Your point being?

And I'n not worried about Google per se. I know what they track and how they do it online through their services, websites you visit, etc. I want to know if they also use information stored locally on an Android phone.

Also, it's more a question of control. For instance, like I said in my original question, I choose not to put pictures of my children online. I want it to stay that way. If I have an SD card containing pictures of my children, I don't want any service to go and get them.

And it's not a question of Google. It's mostly a question of everything can be hacked into and Google's servers are not an exception. If such a thing should happen, then I'd like to have as little information given to the wrong hands.