What the heck!?! Google and privacy

[pdxrealtor]

So since my contact debacle this morning I've been playing around with Google and all the nooks and crannies. Pretty scary what they collect.

I found 1000 songs I uploaded at some point, on Google Play.

I found a few days worth of voice recordings that repeat all the voice searches I've done

I found all the usual stuff that I thought I had turned off had been turned back on. Including location tracking. So, every single place I've been ever minute of every day has been recorded. Awesome.

I find the entire experience quite disturbing.

Since owning my Android phone I've managed to completely wipe out my exchange contacts to the point the service provider is having to pull tapes. I think I've narrowed this down to the fact I imported all my contacts to youmail not knowing what I was really doing at the time. When I went to get rid of them on the computer (they were all linked in my contacts, to my exchange contacts) I'm pretty sure they took my linked exchange contacts with them. I deleted no other contact lists.... so actually that had to be it.

I've managed to find pictures I haven't seen for years, and didn't even know where on Google pictures. I've found youtube videos I thought were long gone too.

Is there a way I can enjoy the Samsung Galaxy S6 without having to let Google into my life?

 

[Rukbat]

No more than you can use an iPhone without Apple getting into your life in the same way.

 

[B. Diddy]

I think that if you want to take advantage of big data (be it from Google, Apple, Microsoft, Yahoo, Amazon, or whoever) and its ability to organize and streamline your life, you have to accept that many aspects of your online life will be stored somewhere for retrieval and analysis. If you don't want Google in your life, then pick your poison among the other platforms. But I don't think you'll find any of them hugely different.

 

[mj0]

Google is like Santa Claus. They know when you are sleeping, they know when you're awake, they know if you've been good or bad, so be good for Google's sake.
And so is Apple. And Microsoft. And Facebook. And Amazon. Take Windows 10 - by default it collects more data about the user than the NSA would ever be capable of processing.

You're not the customer. You're the commodity. The internet never forgets.

Welcome to 2015.

 

[Almeuit]

Google is like Santa Claus. They know when you are sleeping, they know when you're awake, they know if you've been good or bad, so be good for Google's sake.
And so is Apple. And Microsoft. And Facebook. And Amazon. Take Windows 10 - by default it collects more data about the user than the NSA would ever be capable of processing.

You're not the customer. You're the commodity. The internet never forgets.

Welcome to 2015.

Ehhh to an extent - Google asks you what they can access. Others (Microsoft, Apple, etc.) tell you what they will do when you accept. Also Google won't sell to 3rd parties -- they may use it to serve certain ads but they hold that key versus giving / selling it away like others.

 

[pdxrealtor]

I'd love to know where I can find my last six months of location data displayed to me on the internet because I used Apple maps.

Same goes for knowing what app every Apple app reviewer has installed on their phone.

I'd also like to know where the Apple iCloud email service are hiding my photos, collecting my contact info and then forcing it onto my device, that is....forcing it unless I know the intricacies of the iPhone and can shut it off.

I don't think any of that is happening.

I dislike Apple, but it's not for their desire to collect and share data.

MJO has it nailed it with is post.

I knew Google collected a lot the data it did, just not as much as I've seen today. I actually listened to recordings via my computer from voice searches I made three days ago on my phone via the OK GOOGLE bar. I have no idea where SIRI searches go. Maybe they're being saved in a top secret location that I'll never have access to.

The problem with this sort of thing is one day you say something because you're in a joking mood, a bad mood, a crazy mood... whatever. Then something else happens a month later and those recordings are listened to and taken greatly out of context.

Perhaps I'm going through a divorce and the location history shows me frequenting a parking lot of a lingerie modeling shop, strip club, or massage joint. Also in that parking lot is a tobacco town. I've just started to closet smoke. No one knows. Wife has login info, logs in, etc.


Just a couple examples I can think of, one of them quite crazy I know.



Anyways... I hope I didn't come across as bashing Google. If I did that wasn't my intention. I was just surprised at the amount of data I dug up on myself just within the Google servers. And that's with the periodic 'privacy protection' measures I go through from time to time with my Google account.

I'm really enjoying the S6. I've been trying to like Android for years, since the first phones, but always went back to the iPhone. I think this time might be it. Now.... it could be because Samsung has finally, almost, copied the iPhone to a 'T'....

*Shrug*

 

[LeoRex]

Google is pretty transparent... They'll show you exactly what they collected and allow you to purge it. I know it might come as a little bit of a shock the first time you see what gets stored, but they don't hide it. Those last four words are critical: they don't hide it.

And, just as important, they allow the user to administer their own data. Purge it all, keep it all, purge it every month, etc.

Remember, Google isn't just doing this to exploit you. They use your data to build a kind of demographic profile that they can sell as a target for advertisers, and in return, you get a massive amount of tools and services free of charge... Apps, backup, storage, etc. We users get as much out of the relationship as Google gets in return. And Google will even extend those to users who choose not to allow the collection (granted, stuff like Now won't work as well). It's all voluntary.

If it's going to happen, is rather allow it to happen with a company who gives it all to me up front and let's me decide how it's used.

 

[Almeuit]

I'd love to know where I can find my last six months of location data displayed to me on the internet because I used Apple maps.

Google shows you this since you allowed them to -- they do not sell it to 3rd parties. They use it / serve ads FOR the companies with that information to you but they do not sell it to them. Google would rather keep that for themselves.

Honestly you may need to read through the Apple policy. They tell you they can and will sell it if you agree to their terms -- so not sure why you think they don't.

Perhaps I'm going through a divorce and the location history shows me frequenting a parking lot of a lingerie modeling shop, strip club, or massage joint. Also in that parking lot is a tobacco town. I've just started to closet smoke. No one knows. Wife has login info, logs in, etc.

For this -- If someone has your login and can see that information that is not Google's fault. You shared your login information with someone. I am not sure why you would do this but if you do that you can't expect privacy to be a thing.

 

[Aquila]

I'd love to know where I can find my last six months of location data displayed to me on the internet because I used Apple maps.

Same goes for knowing what app every Apple app reviewer has installed on their phone.

I'd also like to know where the Apple iCloud email service are hiding my photos, collecting my contact info and then forcing it onto my device, that is....forcing it unless I know the intricacies of the iPhone and can shut it off.

I don't think any of that is happening.

I dislike Apple, but it's not for their desire to collect and share data.

They're (Apple) absolutely collecting data - and trading it with their business partners - and selling non-personalized data to advertisers. Those last two are things that Google doesn't allow themselves to do without your explicit permission (on trade) on a per company basis (such as you install an app that requires access to your contacts) - and never sells data. Apple actually has their own advertising network, similar at a high level to AdSense - as does Microsoft, etc. Microsoft is by far the worst with privacy, because they take the most liberties with your data and do not leave you any way to opt out save not using their service. Apple doesn't leave you a way out either, but they are generally both more secure and more reserved with their selling/trading habits.

 

[LeoRex]

Perhaps I'm going through a divorce and the location history shows me frequenting a parking lot of a lingerie modeling shop, strip club, or massage joint. Also in that parking lot is a tobacco town. I've just started to closet smoke. No one knows. Wife has login info, logs in, etc.

Then purge the data and disable the location stuff. All this stuff you can see online... every check-in, route driven, etc. I just went in and looked at my entire location history... Yes, Google knows where I've been since I've had the stuff turned on. Am I upset? Why would I be? It is all with my blessing. And looking at it, I need to REALLY get out more.

Another thing about Google's policies.... Not only are they open about what they do and do not share, they also pester you on a regular basis to go into your Security control panel and go through all of your junk to see if there's anything in there that's out of sorts..... even dangling free Drive storage at you to go through and do a deep-dive audit of your data. I mean, they want you to actively administer your own data.

 

[pdxrealtor]

Google shows you this since you allowed them to -- they do not sell it to 3rd parties. They use it / serve ads FOR the companies with that information to you but they do not sell it to them. Google would rather keep that for themselves.

Honestly you may need to read through the Apple policy. They tell you they can and will sell it if you agree to their terms -- so not sure why you think they don't.



For this -- If someone has your login and can see that information that is not Google's fault. You shared your login information with someone. I am not sure why you would do this but if you do that you can't expect privacy to be a thing.

That's exactly my point. No where can ANYONE login to ANYPLACE and see my location history, web history, etc etc. like they can with Google. I don't have to worry about my messy divorce with iPhone because that info is not able to be displayed in that way.

Apple can sell my info all day long and twice at midnight. It's being collected and distributed in a completely different way.

 

[B. Diddy]

No where can ANYONE login to ANYPLACE and see my location history, web history, etc etc. like they can with Google. I don't have to worry about my messy divorce with iPhone because that info is not able to be displayed in that way.

If someone did log into your account against your wishes, that means you either told them your password, they stole your password, or you got hacked. People may not be able to log into your account conventionally and see that information for an Apple device in the first two situations (which should never happen anyway--don't be sharing your passwords, and don't make them easy to guess!), but that doesn't mean that a determined hacker couldn't hack into your account and steal that information in some other way.

 

[Ry]

I found 1000 songs I uploaded at some point, on Google Play.

Uh. You uploaded them to Google.

I found a few days worth of voice recordings that repeat all the voice searches I've done

Yes. Because it needs to be recorded for Google to act on those voice searches.

Google lets you delete them.

I'm pretty sure Apple and Microsoft have recordings of queries to Siri and Cortana.

I found all the usual stuff that I thought I had turned off had been turned back on. Including location tracking. So, every single place I've been ever minute of every day has been recorded. Awesome.

Are you sure you had them off?

Was there anything (like maybe getting a new device) that would have turned them back on?

Besides location tracking (and music and Voice searches), what else should be off?

Is there a way I can enjoy the Samsung Galaxy S6 without having to let Google into my life?

The Galaxy S6 is an Android phone powered by Google's services.

In all honesty, if the data Google has on you concerns you, maybe it's time to move onto another platform.

Posted via Android Central App (Moto X)

 

[Almeuit]

That's exactly my point. No where can ANYONE login to ANYPLACE and see my location history, web history, etc etc. like they can with Google. I don't have to worry about my messy divorce with iPhone because that info is not able to be displayed in that way.

Yes.. and my point is even though you can't see it they are still completely collecting and selling that to 3rd parties so someone is seeing it. I personally would rather someone see my location only if logging into my account (which they never will) versus them selling that to 3rd parties.

So you're basically saying you're okay with them selling to random 3rd parities you have no control over but you are upset Google is keeping your location information to your account only on the chance of you letting someone log into your account? This more sounds like an issue for your specific situation since you are sharing your login and it really doesn't sound like a Google issue. If you let anyone log into any account -- Google, iCloud, anything at all really you're giving up privacy for that account. You should keep your accounts for yourself only.

 

[pdxrealtor]

If someone did log into your account against your wishes, that means you either told them your password, they stole your password, or you got hacked. People may not be able to log into your account conventionally and see that information for an Apple device in the first two situations (which should never happen anyway--don't be sharing your passwords, and don't make them easy to guess!), but that doesn't mean that a determined hacker couldn't hack into your account and steal that information in some other way.

You seem to see what I'm saying exactly. The only thing I would note is that passwords don't have to be hacked, weak, or shared. A desktop can open a browser window and be logged into Gmail, which gives access to a lot of the data with one click of a link. A mobile phone can be picked up and the same can be done with it. Sure you can lock your desktop, and your phone. Or log out. Or surf in private mode, or etc etc....... The point is the data is there and it's very obtainable and visible unlike the data Apple and Microsoft is compiling. Hell I might as well leave all my electronics in one room with a locked door.

And again, as I said once above, I didn't mean to come across as Google bashing and apologize if the first post came across that way. I now understand how to use the Android device with a bit more privacy if I so choose.

I was genuinely surprised at all of the data on myself that I found, that Google had collected over the years. Some, if not all of it, provided to them by me.

I've been using iPhones and Androids since day one. I had the first device of each. I've had an iPhone far more time vs. an Android device and the data out there (the type of data Google logs and displays in the manner it does) as a result of me using an iPhone vs. the data out there as a result of me using an Android are two completely different end results as it stands today.

Maybe it's because I'm comparing the iPhone to the Android AND Google, which is quite an unbalanced comparison.

 

[pdxrealtor]

Yes.. and my point is even though you can't see it they are still completely collecting and selling that to 3rd parties so someone is seeing it. I personally would rather someone see my location only if logging into my account (which they never will) versus them selling that to 3rd parties.

So you're basically saying you're okay with them selling to random 3rd parities you have no control over but you are upset Google is keeping your location information to your account only on the chance of you letting someone log into your account? This more sounds like an issue for your specific situation since you are sharing your login and it really doesn't sound like a Google issue. If you let anyone log into any account -- Google, iCloud, anything at all really you're giving up privacy for that account. You should keep your accounts for yourself only.

The data they are selling to 3rd parties (Apple, Microsoft, et al) does not have your name and email address attached to it in the manner one could easily identify. It's all digits and code. Kind of like tracking your every internet move by using your IP address.

 

[Almeuit]

The data they are selling to 3rd parties (Apple, Microsoft, et al) does not have your name and email address attached to it in the manner one could easily identify. It's all digits and code. Kind of like tracking your every internet move by using your IP address.

I am sorry I just have to disagree. No one knows my account information, I have 2-step on with NO computers trusted, and therefore no one can see my stuff but Google and I. If you share your information to me that just kills the privacy thing since you willing gave it to someone else.

 

[Ry]

I am sorry I just have to disagree. No one knows my account information, I have 2-step on with NO computers trusted, and therefore no one can see my stuff but Google and I. If you share your information to me that just kills the privacy thing since you willing gave it to someone else.

But you could forget to log out...

Posted via Android Central App (Moto X)

 

[Almeuit]

But you could forget to log out...

Posted via Android Central App (Moto X)

I haven't yet! . I always select "do not remember me" so when I close the browser it logs me out.

 

[Laura Knotek]

I haven't yet! . I always select "do not remember me" so when I close the browser it logs me out.

I do that.

I also use a password on my devices, so that nobody else will be able to see what I was doing once the devices go to sleep, since they require a password to be woken up again.