{"id":8311,"date":"2023-10-03T13:56:01","date_gmt":"2023-10-03T17:56:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/blog\/?p=8311"},"modified":"2024-11-19T12:26:15","modified_gmt":"2024-11-19T17:26:15","slug":"what-does-google-know-about-me","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/blog\/what-does-google-know-about-me\/","title":{"rendered":"What Does Google Know About Me?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block uk-card-default uk-padding-small\" style=\"font-size:16px\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><h4>Table of Contents<\/h4><nav><ul><li><a href=\"#what-does-google-know-about-me-and-you\">What Does Google Know About Me (And You)?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#download-everything-google-knows-about-you\">Download Everything Google Knows About You<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#who-else-knows-a-lot-about-you\">Who Else Knows A Lot About You?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#how-to-opt-out-of-data-brokers\">How to Opt Out of Data Brokers<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>As someone who wants to keep my personal information as private as possible, I realized recently that I should be asking: What does Google know about me?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Depending on your usage of Google apps, the results may surprise you.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fortunately, you can turn off a good amount of Google\u2019s data collection, which will help keep your personal details secure and your online privacy more intact.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This guide will show you how &#8211; as well as how to remove your information from data brokers (companies that are specifically out to collect and sell your private information).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-does-google-know-about-me-and-you\">What Does Google Know About Me (And You)?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s what Google knows about you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"who-you-are-or-who-it-thinks-you-are\">Who you are (or who it thinks you are)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Google probably knows your age, whether you\u2019re single or in a relationship, and what kind of pet you have.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It knows all this and much more through your Google ads profile, an automatically generated profile connected with your user ID that collects data via Gmail, Google Docs, YouTube, and other Google products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-to-check-your-google-account-info\">How to check your Google account info&nbsp;<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s easy to check your Google account and find out what Google knows about you based on your online activity.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To find out:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Go to <a href=\"https:\/\/myaccount.google.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">My Account<\/a> and log in to your Google account if needed.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click \u201cData &amp; Privacy\u201d on the left-hand side of your screen.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Under Personalized Ads, click \u201cMy Ad Centre.\u201d&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019ll see your ad profile. This is who Google thinks you are &#8211; and it may or may not be correct.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s who Google thinks I am:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh6.googleusercontent.com\/87ld0Xv8lGWI5MIEK_TiKReWRtMMnAWbZw8dyAhyE5TCVYNE0gP3yoZpMjeMjkc6VuJqGjfaCyh6GIXaARPZ8PutkhENrN3wThTTgikIS7legcI5CDUrVPo7nu7ZR-R0ac5uYV-Tl0SzbAG_zS1xcrI\" alt=\"&quot;Your Google Account Info&quot; section on Google Account\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Funnily enough, it\u2019s wrong in almost every category.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-to-turn-off-google-account-info\">How to turn off Google account info&nbsp;<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>You can turn off or limit the data Google collects by moving through the list of privacy settings.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the most important ones to turn off is \u201cPersonalized Ads,\u201d as this is the primary reason that Google collects some of your private information.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To do that:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Go to <a href=\"https:\/\/myaccount.google.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">My Account<\/a> and log in to your Google account if needed.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click \u201cData &amp; Privacy\u201d on the left-hand side of your screen.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Under Personalized Ads, click \u201cMy Ad Centre.\u201d&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>On the top right of your screen, turn Personalized ads to \u201cOff.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh5.googleusercontent.com\/Wwcwvvis17QVzxN5_pDCK_ZHX9c2ypE5nCUdEsJyJ-6czyc5voPdUtIEKcq9XK-6_KVUzLNKfGlVJOdQKTAITxCzCEozClKUCIjbil6cgZu-rzZr7VIcoyYZjQTXmFaceCNdBF8SLSs3vm1pO6M_onQ\" alt=\"Personalized ads button toggled off on Google\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>You can also change partner ad settings to further limit tracking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To do that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Under the Personalized Ads section in <a href=\"https:\/\/myaccount.google.com\/data-and-privacy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Data and Privacy<\/a>, click \u201cPartner Ads Settings.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Turn off \u201cGet personalized ads when you visit sites that partner with Google.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh6.googleusercontent.com\/sFNNHoTE1czBRYPONdiaXKHvnFMcFYPNwGhD-qflxMHHQmmRyMvkHFtO8M9kEYC2UdE4Oh0WS1dTwcOcf-NL4o5QjzFkyu9h6buCvrLmTZBn2UKRvgl4T_0rQz7C1S13s9pNlUyVu_HU-x-CtB_heBE\" alt=\"&quot;Personalized ads on sites that partner with Google&quot; section on Google\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"where-youve-been\">Where you\u2019ve been<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Aside from your demographics, interests, and habits, Google tracks user locations by default. This is especially true if you use Google Maps or Google Photos. Users of Google Maps will have every location &#8211; meaning city, town, attraction, business, or restaurant &#8211; tracked automatically by their mobile devices.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Google\u2019s Timeline feature allows you to see where you traveled and when. This can be helpful if you\u2019d like to recall a place you\u2019ve visited, but it\u2019s not helpful when that information gets somewhere it shouldn\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Users of Google Photos, meanwhile, will have locations tagged and tracked for each photo that they upload.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-to-check-your-location-history\">How to check your location history&nbsp;<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>You can see for yourself how much Google has tracked your location history in both Google Maps and Google Photos.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Use the information Google has on you to decide whether you\u2019d like to turn off location tracking or not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"on-google-maps\">On Google Maps<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>To see your Google Maps history:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Go to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.co.za\/maps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Google Maps<\/a> (log in if needed) and click the three horizontal lines in the upper left corner of your screen.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh6.googleusercontent.com\/odK_TiBO1A9jJZAnm34PUAT1YqvI2i99Y6PYPhU7VcIqYi-eQwITDiHQPpuLtqLTaQb1QhKiHNfOxmsUdTfE6HurRtpcUXEkgUS0h2GIHp9tsmJ_5Q0xpJ0FjyLplgNLgUsskBllXWMmtsKnQbT5V70\" alt=\"Google Maps\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"2\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Click \u201cYour Timeline\u201d in the sidebar menu.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pick \u201cYour Places\u201d and then \u201cVisited\u201d to see everywhere you\u2019ve been to that Google is aware of.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>You can do the same on your Android or iPhone by opening Google Maps and clicking on your profile icon. Click \u201cYour Timeline\u201d and go from there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"on-google-photos\">On Google Photos&nbsp;<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>To find out what location data Google Photos has for you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Open the app on your mobile device.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>At the bottom, click on &#8220;Search.&#8221;&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Scroll until you see &#8220;View All&#8221; under the Places section.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>You can see similar information (with fewer details) on your computer by going to <a href=\"https:\/\/photos.google.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Google Photos<\/a> and clicking on the &#8220;Info&#8221; button (round, with an &#8220;i&#8221; in it) at the upper right corner of your screen (third icon from the right).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-to-pause-turn-off-your-location-history\">How to pause\/turn off your location history&nbsp;<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019ve decided that Google\u2019s location tracking is too invasive, turn it off on both services. Here\u2019s how.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"on-google-maps-1\">On Google Maps<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>Using your computer:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Go to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/timeline\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Your Timeline<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click on &#8220;Settings.&#8221;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click &#8220;Pause Location History&#8221;.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh4.googleusercontent.com\/VQiJ-7g6aWI6TalBI1P21UKsp1QoYiPDwJn65vaK_2f7bscRRVgql73P4_hXaNwAAlt2X2etmPcYBMMpIpmYDV7TnVlEcnGF_ctrAbjM72AKk6k4794sx697kFMGCHwTOTSH36sFSUFrEZZZN9r4xsc\" alt=\"Option to pause location history on Your Timeline in Google Maps\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The process is the same on an iOS device.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;re using an Android device:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Open Google Maps.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click your profile.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click &#8220;Your Timeline.&#8221;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Select &#8220;More.&#8221;&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click &#8220;Settings and privacy.&#8221;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Select &#8220;Location history is off.&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"on-google-photos-2\">On Google Photos<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>Turn off location tracking on Google Photos can be handled fairly simply. Here\u2019s how:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Open Google Photos on any device.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click &#8220;Settings&#8221; in the upper right-hand corner.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click &#8220;Sharing.&#8221;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Select &#8220;Hide photo location data.&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-you-search-online\">What you search online<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Google is a company that\u2019s synonymous with search engines, and for good reason. The truth is, however, that Google is very interested in what you\u2019re searching for, and it will keep a record of it unless you purge it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-to-check-your-google-search-history\">How to check your Google search history&nbsp;<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>You can see everything that Google has recorded for your search history by doing the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Go to \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/myaccount.google.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">My Account<\/a>.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Select \u201cData &amp; Privacy\u201d on the left.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Scroll to \u201cThings you\u2019ve done and places you\u2019ve been\u201d in the main window.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In the \u201cHistory\u201d box just below it, you\u2019ll see a button for My Activity page. Select it to see your searches, app activity, browsing history, and more.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh4.googleusercontent.com\/NKITt9bZYvMyeMEyTxTAKrjQ9KPj87flGvahNa0QPvC4AiOw27XA7usfyuySzXh38K9Yfaq4lUqpsvMd93B40OT0jH0Lo_DuzOXc44gzWEnQhyNPplzkpWbwulOun1QY7NNN6VVwnIo1OW9vY9pYNgc\" alt=\"&quot;History settings&quot; section in Google Maps\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-to-delete-your-google-search-history\">How to delete your Google search history&nbsp;<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>You can clear your entire Google search history by scrolling to just under the \u201cSearch your activity\u201d search bar. There, you\u2019ll see a \u201cDelete\u201d button with an arrow on it. Click it and then select the date range you want to delete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh4.googleusercontent.com\/1CFF55CerMZOf29QP6H7YcDkG4bEHLWIFrLJRykpAFCA8OQXLGQPLvAbNqswmSO6bkcpK96djMBM2kBmLNL_asRjx4ftmGqlGJ5wkp6E-9Z0jZyflUKISmZnJfbISNFkjn7RZC6wIcVuRZCZtpIM75Y\" alt=\"&quot;Search your activity&quot; in Google search history\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Keep in mind, though, that if you have multiple devices (mobile and desktop, for instance), you will need to do a similar process on each of your devices to remove the locally stored record of your Google activity.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To remove your stored Google search history on an Android or iOS device, open Google, click on your profile icon, and then click &#8220;Search history.&#8221; From there, you can choose the date range that you&#8217;d like to delete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Tip: <\/strong>For more privacy, consider using a privacy-focused search engine, like DuckDuckGo or Startpage. And remember: Incognito mode is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/wirecutter\/blog\/incognito-mode-isnt-incognito\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">not as private as you may think<\/a>. Also, while a VPN can hide your IP address from Google, there are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.security.org\/vpn\/browsing-history\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">other ways<\/a> for the tech giant to identify you, for instance, through Google Chrome if you&#8217;re logged in.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-you-do-on-you-tube\">What you do on YouTube<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As the owner of YouTube, Google knows your YouTube search history and watch history, assuming you use it while logged in.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>More intricately, it knows how long you watch particular YouTube videos and what videos you engage most with (by liking or commenting), as well as typically keeping track of keywords associated with each video to use for targeted marketing (\u201cad personalization\u201d) purposes.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-to-check-your-you-tube-history\">How to check your YouTube history&nbsp;<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>You can see your YouTube history by doing the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Go to \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/myaccount.google.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">My Account<\/a>.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Select \u201cData &amp; Privacy\u201d on the left.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Scroll to \u201cThings you\u2019ve done and places you\u2019ve been\u201d in the main window.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In the \u201cHistory\u201d box just below it, select \u201cYouTube History.\u201d&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>On the Activity controls page, scroll down and click \u201cManage history\u201d to see your YouTube history.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh4.googleusercontent.com\/wQlAMALk7x7TmdHvFsXL8v0h43KrPfSll1IlCaC0VSAQQn7U_lZZgjnDjEAdGcZ9udjMMw-OBpOUIdQWK5eBisgq24NztzK1X6U-mmWYGVKwdQvg-pSt8GPstB0Hwximbog01vCyx-pnbCIoK53mQUo\" alt=\"&quot;YouTube history&quot; section in Google Account\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-to-delete-your-you-tube-history\">How to delete your YouTube history&nbsp;<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>There are two ways you can clear your YouTube history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To delete individual videos, click \u201cX\u201d beside each video under your YouTube history.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh4.googleusercontent.com\/v0pP7DV89u8TX2DnAmLAWtN02h3L68RQpDpYb6mcwS_5bfBsKphVsenMDbn5_cuKShPUVzR0betXBILAPJVqrS9qyAGPwO17wa6rSB5ceK3Q_hyFzGZqPbUPaa9kX5gyVIbwrpMCzsHo3Qv4Mh9P27o\" alt=\"YouTube history item \"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>To delete more than one video:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Click \u201cDelete\u201d before a list of videos in your history.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/ymOLPeELZP2YCaAFpyyk2hN2B3FMcsNvQTdxD9EVu6Qw4T9_4oc8o-guBFMc7Exe7VvlE_0TB9H1keOjeyypS9NBXFHzDUVH0kx36BQXsW8MxlxtSuKNacVwR1pm5Px5y0y-FnaQ-vfjAmc-t376rxc\" alt=\"&quot;Delete&quot; button highlighted in &quot;YouTube History&quot; \"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"2\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Select your date range. Options include \u201cDelete today,\u201d \u201cDelete custom range,\u201d and \u201cDelete all time.\u201d&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The next steps will vary depending on your selected option. For example, if you choose \u201cDelete today,\u201d Google will delete all the videos you watched that day. If you click \u201cDelete custom range,\u201d you must first select the date range for which you want to delete the videos.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-apps-websites-you-use\">What apps\/websites you use<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>How often are you using another site or platform when it offers to let you sign in using your Google account?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With partnerships around the world, Google user accounts are frequently used to access a range of services. Each time you connect your Google account to a third party, Google will be aware of it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can see what third-party apps, websites, or services are connected to your Google account by going to your <a href=\"https:\/\/myaccount.google.com\/permissions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Google Account Permissions page<\/a>. Click the \u201cSign in with Google\u201d option under the filter selector to see what permissions you have given and to individually revoke them if you no longer are using that service.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To revoke them, click on the app. On the following page at the bottom, click \u201cDelete all connections you have with X.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/GlMujNkFdAWDKoQdmWZvjQtQfIlAbYMo3o9WO7blM1xX8xpVMQPuJ3jaWz-2M0D0YAqLFafVZfbVpjWKIubt61UdcLDBE-0e30SJ2FynqmsD4xGCHr3DXcSUX2b7rysZcFsBGbHBp2q8Sww8mkietf4\" alt=\"&quot;How Google helps you sign in to Adobe&quot; section in Google Account\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"download-everything-google-knows-about-you\">Download Everything Google Knows About You<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Google offers a service called Google Takeout that enables you to download up to 49 different kinds of data (pertaining to apps such as Google Drive, Google Calendar, YouTube, and more), either for importing to another service, using as a backup, or having for personal purposes.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The amount of data you receive can be overwhelming, especially if you are a heavy user of Google services, but the thoroughness is what makes it valuable.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To get your hands on your data, go to <a href=\"https:\/\/takeout.google.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Google Takeout<\/a>, select what data you&#8217;d like, and then click &#8220;Next Step&#8221; at the bottom of the page. From there, you&#8217;ll be asked how and where you want your data delivered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh6.googleusercontent.com\/G3GaebsIIWcQVJVpEmvfNP_79ASn0RViIp0zEvy8pPI3T7NlBY54dL201H8wXj9jRkP7h1Yh_JN4VwdLsnch4uVjRdJK4_PSKqp380NjZqE3odFJa_s80vKODGe5-DPJC63ueB-LMK4eyjHf0DwYhKU\" alt=\"Google Takeout\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"who-else-knows-a-lot-about-you\">Who Else Knows A Lot About You?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Google isn\u2019t the only company out there collecting data on you, and it certainly isn\u2019t the only one profiting from that data.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Data brokers are companies that glean your public information from social media profiles, public records, and other sources and then compile it to be sold in a tidy package to advertisers and other third parties.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Data brokers include companies like <a href=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/blog\/how-to-remove-yourself-from-whitepages-standard\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Whitepages<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/blog\/how-to-remove-yourself-from-spokeo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Spokeo<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/blog\/how-to-remove-yourself-from-peoplefinders\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">PeopleFinders<\/a>, each offering information to anyone trying to find you or sell you something. You can read more about data brokers in <a href=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/blog\/what-are-data-brokers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">our comprehensive guide on them<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A typical data broker profile includes your personal information like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Your full name<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Any known aliases<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Home address<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Phone numbers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Email addresses<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Age<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Gender<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Occupation&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Social media accounts<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Family information&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Associates and friends&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Education history<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Job history&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Property records<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Lawsuit records<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u2026and more!&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s an example of a data broker profile:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh6.googleusercontent.com\/s16dNb4pzAQ61ovW9897NW2t2hEeVxWyx9m5KJxninkxVyJFaXurII5vBdFHWCE2OGIwTzzT-ueBf6qqKKE0BqPwFeYBAUlgeNTb57yEKh0h_U0zFxEy6tP0LSN-C6uQ_uts3FzULxa6V36Qo7PbvgI\" alt=\"Example of a data broker profile\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The information obtained by these companies can come from a wide range of sources, including mobile apps that collect your personal info and trackers installed as soon as you visit a website.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Having your personal data on the marketplace isn\u2019t ideal for online safety and security, but most people don\u2019t realize they can opt out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-to-opt-out-of-data-brokers\">How to Opt Out of Data Brokers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Opting out of data brokers is important if you\u2019d like to limit the amount of public information circulating about you on the internet and being exchanged behind the scenes.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Opting out of data broker databases not only makes it less likely that your information will appear on the first page of Google when someone looks you up online, but it also means that your data will be less likely to be stolen if a <a href=\"https:\/\/cybernews.com\/privacy\/top-data-broker-breaches\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">data broker\u2019s website is breached<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Opting out requires a bit of effort, and the process isn\u2019t the same for every data broker.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First, you\u2019ll need to determine what data brokers have an account on you, either by going to their websites individually and searching for yourself or searching for yourself on Google and scrolling through the results to find them.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you\u2019ve identified a data broker with information on you, look through their website to see if they offer an \u201copt out\u201d form. If they don\u2019t, you\u2019ll need to contact them directly by email and request that they remove your profile.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Tip: <\/strong>Use <a href=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/blog\/opt-out-guides\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">our free opt-out guides<\/a> for step-by-step instructions on how to opt out of some of the biggest data brokers out there. Our popular guides include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>How to <a href=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/blog\/how-to-remove-yourself-from-whitepages-standard\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">remove yourself from Whitepages<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How to <a href=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/blog\/how-to-remove-yourself-from-spokeo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">remove yourself from Spokeo<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How to <a href=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/blog\/how-to-remove-yourself-from-beenverified\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">remove yourself from BeenVerified<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How to <a href=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/blog\/how-to-remove-yourself-from-peoplefinders\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">remove yourself from PeopleFinder<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How to <a href=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/blog\/how-to-remove-yourself-from-radaris\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">remove yourself from Radaris<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How to <a href=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/blog\/how-to-remove-yourself-from-people-background-check\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">remove yourself from People Background Check<\/a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How to <a href=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/blog\/how-to-remove-yourself-from-truthfinder\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">remove yourself from TruthFinder<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How to <a href=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/blog\/how-to-remove-yourself-from-mylife\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">remove yourself from MyLife<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How to <a href=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/blog\/how-to-remove-yourself-from-intelius\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">remove yourself from Intelius<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How to <a href=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/blog\/how-to-remove-yourself-from-fast-people-search\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">remove yourself from Fast People Search<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How to <a href=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/blog\/how-to-remove-yourself-arrests-org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">remove yourself from Arrests.org<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How to <a href=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/blog\/how-to-remove-yourself-from-checkpeople-com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">remove yourself from CheckPeople.com<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How to <a href=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/blog\/how-to-remove-yourself-from-instant-checkmate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">remove yourself from Instant Checkmate<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Unfortunately, even after opting out of data brokers, users have found their profiles reappearing after a certain amount of time. This is because data brokers regularly refresh their databases, rebuilding user profiles each time they gather more data on people.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In other words, you\u2019ll need to repeat the opt-out process regularly to ensure your information stays private. If you\u2019d rather not perform the opt-out process manually, you can always subscribe to a data broker removal service like <a href=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/\">DeleteMe<\/a>. Read <a href=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/reviews\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">DeleteMe reviews here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As someone who wants to keep my personal information as private as possible, I realized recently that I should be asking: What does Google know about me?&nbsp; Depending on your usage of Google apps, the results may surprise you.&nbsp; Fortunately, you can turn off a good amount of Google\u2019s data collection, which will help keep [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":8314,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,26,27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8311","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-data-privacy","category-privacy-tips","category-staying-private-online"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8311","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8311"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8311\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8314"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8311"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8311"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8311"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}