Google Is Increasingly Tracking Your Every Move Around the Clock: How to Stop It
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Google is increasingly pushing the use of Personal Intelligence technology to enhance the capabilities of its AI services. With this feature, Gemini and Google Search can draw data from connected apps such as Gmail and Google Photos to provide users with more precise, personalised answers.
However, this advanced functionality comes at a cost in terms of privacy. The Mountain View-based technology giant has quietly updated its privacy policy. Google has confirmed that it may use personal data users share with certain services to personalise advertising.
The move has prompted widespread concern, given that Gmail and Google Photos hold some of the most sensitive digital records of millions of users.
A gap in Google’s new policy
By default, Google says it does not use content from Gmail, Drive or Photos to serve ads. However, the rules change for users who choose to connect their accounts to Google services that provide personalised advertising.
In other words, giving Google access to data in exchange for intelligent recommendations can also open the door to more highly targeted ads.
For example, if you search Google for restaurant recommendations, the system may read hotel booking emails in your Gmail account to suggest nearby places to eat. This integration offers considerable convenience, but Google’s new policy raises a major question: to what extent could private booking data be used to direct advertisements for other products to users?
Google insists that it does not indiscriminately scan private emails or photos, and promises not to disclose identifying information such as names and email addresses to advertisers without permission.
Even so, there is a fine line that could make users uncomfortable. Agreeing to let data be used to answer questions does not necessarily mean agreeing to let it be used to sell advertising.
How to protect your privacy from Google’s monitoring
For users who prioritise privacy over the convenience of AI, Google provides an option to disconnect these data integrations. To limit Google Search’s access to connected apps:
Open your Google Account and go to Data & privacy.
Under Personalisation & activity, select Personalisation settings.
Click Manage Personalised Recommendations in Search Services.
Find Connected Content apps under Additional Personal Intelligence.
Disconnect Google Workspace and Google Photos.
Users can also take the more drastic step of turning off all Personalised Recommendations directly from the Search settings page.
Note that disconnecting apps will not automatically delete records that have already been stored. Data retained in Search Services History may remain on Google’s servers even if the original emails or photos have been deleted from your account.