Turning off the "google assistant" payment reminder - how?

[955450]

This morning I saw one of the creepiest things I could imagine.

In my notifications on my pixel 3a was an icon I didn't recognize, and what it was was a "google assistant" - I think that's what it was called - reminding me that I had a credit card payment due today. It gave the exact amount due too.

How did it know this? It knew it because the email address I use with the credit card company forwards to my gmail!

I'm great about configuring my computer, which I use far more than my phone, for privacy, but I know much less about configuring the phone.

How do I turn off this spooky google assistant feature, at least as applies to payment reminders that it finds in my gmail?

Nothing I can find online explains this, and poking through the phone settings, I can't find anything seeming to control this.

 

[hallux]

re: Turning off the "google assistant" payment reminder - how?

In your app drawer, open Google. Tap More (bottom right corner). Tap Customize. Under More Preferences (very bottom) tap Notifications. Disable Bills (and any others you don't want for that matter).

I can't say this will stop Assistant from scanning your email for these, but at least it won't remind you.

 

[955450]

re: Turning off the "google assistant" payment reminder - how?

Big thank you.

I can't say when the next opportunity google will have to know about a bill due date. But I think this fixed it.

A lot of very good and intelligent - and private - people have and use google phones. So I take solace in that.

Most of the time I'd rather live like it's 2019, than like I'm Robinson Crusoe or a hermit. But episodes like this make me think "wow just wow" about where did my privacy go.

 

[Rukbat]

But episodes like this make me think "wow just wow" about where did my privacy go.

It went into a database that few people have access to, those who do don't have time to look around in it, and even those whose job it is to look in the data to fix a bug in the database don't remember what they saw 2 minutes later. (I spent years fixing databases with HIPPA-protected data, and once I was looking at a record I couldn't tell you what was in the last record I worked on if my life depended on it.)

Anyone at Google found messing around in customer data who isn't supposed to be probably wouldn't be told anything until the police appeared at his chair, told him why he was being arrested, and asked him to stand up to be handcuffed. They take security seriously.

 

[Almeuit]

This morning I saw one of the creepiest things I could imagine.

In my notifications on my pixel 3a was an icon I didn't recognize, and what it was was a "google assistant" - I think that's what it was called - reminding me that I had a credit card payment due today. It gave the exact amount due too.

How did it know this? It knew it because the email address I use with the credit card company forwards to my gmail!

I'm great about configuring my computer, which I use far more than my phone, for privacy, but I know much less about configuring the phone.

How do I turn off this spooky google assistant feature, at least as applies to payment reminders that it finds in my gmail?

Nothing I can find online explains this, and poking through the phone settings, I can't find anything seeming to control this.

Just remember... They still have access to the info even if not notifying you about it. Gmail scans your email. If you have an issue with that I'd suggest changing email providers.

 

[hallux]

Just remember... They still have access to the info even if not notifying you about it. Gmail scans your email. If you have an issue with that I'd suggest changing email providers.

Yup, exactly why I included this last line in my reply...

I can't say this will stop Assistant from scanning your email for these, but at least it won't remind you.