If you're on the internet, there are high chances that your activities are being tracked and your data is being sold to brands to target specific kind of ads or learn a specific kind of user behavior to create products and services to be in tandem with user preferences.
Frankly, the possibilities are endless. And a lot of it begins from your use of some of Google's popular product and services.
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Google is known to track data that it collects from users whether from its browser or its search engine or the plethora of apps that have seeped into our lives. And with our life surrounded by Google services (including the Android smartphone) the amount of data at Google's disposal is mindbogglingly high.
However, if you want to stop your privacy from getting hampered and take control of your data, here are five ways you can stop Google from tracking you.?
We all know that our smartphones are fitted with GPS. On Android smartphones, Google is known to track your location and suggest you places or things to do in that location. But it doesn't end there. With this data, it can target ads to you about places you visit more often or its neighborhood.
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To disable this, just go to https://myaccount.google.com, where it'll ask you to login using your Google account. After that click on your profile image which is to the top left corner of the screen. After that hit Google Account > Data & personalization > Location History > and then switch the slider to 'Paused' mode.
Getting an email from a random marketing company is pretty common. However, did you know that companies can track whether the email sent to you has been opened by you? Moreover, they can even get to know the number of times the email has been opened. This happens due to a feature called Pixel tracking.
To disable email tracking on your Google account, simply enter your Gmail account settings, which you can get into by tapping the small gear icon on the top right corner of the screen > Once in settings, scroll down until you see the 'Images' section > select 'Ask before displaying external images.' Don't forget to scroll down and save changes. And you're good to go.
While Google Assistant might seem like a smart way to execute day-to-day tasks using your voice, whatever you say, gets recorded and stored with Google. Moreover, this data is sent to real people to listen and transcribe everything you've said.
Moreover, Google has admitted that the Google Assistant on its Home smart speaker?records your voice and other audio, when you hit assistant activation keyword, 'Ok Google' or when you hit the mic button. What's worse is that it also records audio from a few seconds before. To avoid this creepy situation, enter your Google Account > Data & personalization > Voice and Audio Activity and hit the switch to pause.?
Love shopping on Amazon or other e-commerce websites? Chances are Google knows what you've bought (with the sale receipts coming in your inbox) and it would want to tempt you by showing you deals related to things you recently bought.
If you want to put an end to this, head to https://myaccount.google.com/purchases and click on 'Gmail confirmations.' Once you're in, sort the item you want to remove, then select 'Remove Purchase' > 'View Email' > Hit the three vertical dots on the right side of the screen > 'Delete this message.' Sadly you'll have to do this for every email on your list.?
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The best way to stay completely free of tracking is by abandoning Google search entirely. There are various search engines that allow track-free browsing, the most popular one being DuckDuck Go. Also, alternately, it is a good idea to use Tor web browser adds another layer of privacy for its users while preventing it from tracking. If you can't let go of Google Search, just make sure that all the browsing conducted is done with your Gmail account logged out.
Try these tips and you'll be a step closer to a secured and track-free browsing experience.?