Cal Gaunt
A woman has gone viral after showing how to find out what Google knows about you.
Google is a multinational technology company founded in 1998 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin. It is known for its popular search engine, which reportedly handles over 5.6 billion searches per day.
Now, if you’ve ever wondered what kind of intel Google has on you, TikTok user @yorgoandlea has got you covered with a nifty trick.
She spilt the beans on how to find all the data Google’s been collecting on you – brace yourself, it might be a lot.
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In a snappy clip, she logs into Google and punches in ‘ads settings google’, which leads to a treasure trove of personal info unravelling before her eyes.
Age, gender, languages spoken – Google’s got it all.
And hold onto your hats, folks, because it seems they even know your interests, like ‘architecture’ and ‘audio equipment’… Talk about mind-reading technology.
This TikTok revelation has taken the internet by storm, gathering hundreds of thousands of views and blowing everyone’s minds.
Comments have been pouring in, and people have been left shaken by how much Google knows about them.
One person says: “Whoa! So. Much. Info!”
Others have been spooked by the uncanny accuracy, exclaiming: “It’s creepy how spot on it is!”
But not everyone’s data has been picture-perfect. Some have found their info to be hilariously wrong – like, really off the mark.
One user laughed it off, saying: “Apparently, I’m 65 and obsessed with Utah and reality TV shows!”
Google might need a fact-checker.
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Now, the company claims that they store your data to ‘make [their] services work better for you’.
It wants those ads to be super relevant and personalised, so it keeps track of your videos, location, cookie data, and the ads you click on.
Don’t fret, though. Google pinky-promises not to sell your data. They just use it to make your online experience more enjoyable.
@leakalache try it!!! #fyp #fy #foryoupage #forupage #foryou #4upage #fypage ♬ Oh No – Kreepa
So, when you spot those tailor-made ads on Google services, like Search or YouTube, and on partnered websites and apps, you’ll know why they seem like they were made just for you.
But here’s the deal – if you’re not vibing with the whole data collection gig, you can switch off ad personalisation.
Simply head to the same ads setting page where you found your data, and there is a little switch to keep things private.
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