The saying goes, “if you’re not paying for a product, then you are the product.” Is your personal data the currency you’re using to pay for services like Google Apps and Facebook? Google recently took a step toward allaying those fears with its new MyAccount page, which allows you to see what data Google collects, what it does with it, and how to opt out of sharing. To keep you, your personal information, your business, and your employees’ information safe, San Diego IT consulting companies suggest sharing the following information with the whole team.
Answers to Your Questions
The main page of the new MyAccount is an FAQ explaining exactly what information Google collects. This includes sites visited, videos watched, location, personal information like name and gender, and more. It also explains what Google does with this information (mostly tailor services to you and sell ads) and what it does not (sell it to others). Users are encouraged to run two “checkups” to get a better handle on their privacy configuration.
Security and Privacy Checkups
The Security Checkup and Privacy Checkup pages are where you go to review your privacy settings and manage what is shared. The Security Checkup page lets users review their contact information, devices, account permissions and Gmail settings. It’s a quick walk-through leading to the more granular Privacy Checkup section.
Privacy Checkup is where you to select what services like Hangouts, YouTube and Google Plus collect and share. It also includes handy settings for Google Ads. A good deal of information is left open by default so it’s crucial to go through this process. If seeing how much data Google gathers puts you off, MyAccount is also the place to go to delete everything and close accounts.
Checking Out
MyAccount has a link on the Account Preferences page to delete all account data and close the account. It’s essential to remember to download and save data by using Google Takeout first. It’s also important to consider that Android devices and Chromebooks will lose some features when your Google account is shut down.
MyAccount is a big move for Google, aimed at keeping users happy by affording more transparency and control over its data collection. It will be worth watching to see if other popular online services like Facebook and Instagram follow suit to keep us happy and not feeling so much like products for data mining.
Although it might take a little time to comb through the various settings, it will be well worth it to know essential information isn’t being shared. If security is still a concern for you, however, contact Syndeo Communications at (760) 650-3300. We provide email and network security services, as well as emergency IT support in San Diego, ensuring business are operating efficiently and safely at all times.