“This is why I disable all this stuff.”
A woman has shared a now-viral video in which she shows you how to find out all the information Google has stored about you.
The video, which was shared by TikTok user @yorgoandlea, shows the unnamed woman heading to Google and searching for ‘ad settings google’ where she signs in.
From there, the woman scrolls down a list which quickly shows her age, gender, and the languages she speaks.
The list also shows the things Google believes she is interested in. In her case: architecture, bedding and linen, and audio equipment.
As expected the TikTok has racked up thousands upon thousands of views and many people have took to the comment section to voice their shock that Google knows just so much about them.
Honestly, while it is pretty haunting, surely this isn’t a surprise…
One person commented: “It’s scarily accurate.” Another wrote: “This is why I disable all this stuff.”
Perhaps most interesting is that for some people the information was way off with one person writing: “Apparently I am 65-years-old and interested in Utah and reality TV.”
Another commented: “Why does mine say I’m 44. I’m literally 19.”
Google claims to store such information about you to make their services ‘work better for you’.
Google does, however, promise not to sell your data.
If you’re still uncomfortable with what Google knows about you then you can always choose to turn off ad personalisation in Google. The option to do so can be found on the same page where you’ll find all your data.
Failing that, you can always go old school by burning your laptop in the back garden and retreating into the wilderness as a complete unknown. The choice is yours.
