Google Knows Everything About You: How to Check and Stop It

Most of us find it hard to imagine a world without Google. What began as a simple search engine has become deeply embedded in daily life through its various services. Despite the convenience, many wonder: what exactly does Google know about us?

From names, home addresses, voices, to all your passwords, Google stores far more personal information than most realise. Here’s a detailed guide on how to check and stop this data collection, compiled by KompasTekno from Avira and Tuta.

Chrome browser continuously tracks websites visited, duration of visits, and downloaded files. Every query typed into Google Search is saved, including which search results are clicked. Google Maps knows your location even with GPS turned off, using IP addresses and Wi-Fi signals. Other data sources include YouTube viewing history, Android apps analysing usage habits, Gmail scanning emails, Google AdSense ads, and Google Assistant processing voice and text commands.

Active users of Google’s main services likely have far more personal details collected than they realise. Information gathered includes name, age, phone number from Google accounts, home and work addresses from Maps, physical appearance from tagged photos, voice from Assistant, and health conditions from search history. Google can also determine favourite foods, hobbies, holiday destinations, friends’ and family’s addresses, contact emails, and stored passwords — surprising, isn’t it?

Why does Google collect such vast data? To personalise user experiences, deliver targeted ads, optimise services, maintain security, conduct market research, and train its AI models. While it’s impossible to know exactly all data held by Google, users can get an overview by logging into their account, clicking the profile icon, and selecting “Manage Your Google Account”.