What are you really giving away?

Google Search is a search engine owned by Google’s parent company Alphabet.

Google Search is the most used search engine for searching the Internet. It is used for 65.2% of all web searches equaling 3.5 billion searches each day (Internet Live Stats, 2016).

BUT did you know?

By searching with Google you AUTOMATICALLY AGREE to Google’s Terms of Service (T.O.S).

By using Google Search you have given Google permission to collect your data across all Google websites and affiliates.

Google’s parent company Alphabet directly owns over 78 websites/apps including Google Search, YouTube, Gmail, Chrome, Play Store and Android (Murphy & Rathi, 2015). Google also has many other affiliate websites.

Google retain some data, including your search history and IP addresses, on their server logs (Google, 2016). So deleting cookies and other tracking means from your device will not keep your search history private.

You have agreed for Google to collect and track your device information such as “hardware model, operating system version, unique device identifiers, and mobile network information including phone number” (Google, 2016).

You have given Google permission to link your mobile number, if obtained, to your google accounts – YouTube, Gmail etc.

Google obtain enough information about you that they can link your use across multiple devices, building up a very comprehensive picture of your overall internet use.

Google state that the purpose of all this data collection is to provide a better, more personalised services to you, their customers.

However, large scale data collection such as this is shown to benefit the company collecting the data NOT the end users (Peacock, 2014, p. 7).

Google use automated systems to analyse your data. When searching this can lead to your search results being skewed or biased based on identified interested and existing views.

Google will use your information to show a publicly visible Google profile that includes your name and photo. This is AUTOMATICALLY CREATED on your behalf.

Google will replace past names you have used on their services with the one you are currently using, to give you a consistent representation across all their services; even if you were purposefully using a nickname for privacy purposes.

Google does allow users to manage their own activity controls through Google Dashboard. This includes what information links to your google account, so you can keep some information more private.

However, Google retain data essentially forever, on backup tapes (Foremski, 2010). So even if you do delete your data, a copy still might be on a backup in storage.

Legal proceedings to date have shown Google refusing to hand over user data. Though, there is no guarantee this will always happen in the future.

If you upload ANYTHING to Google, you have given them permission to use this IN ANY WAY THEY WISH. They can use it in their products or advertising without seeking extra permission from you.

When using search, this means they can publish your search queries. This may not seem important, but consider the following…

In 2006 AOL released one months worth of user search queries. Many individuals were identified from their search queries. Including searcher 4417749 who was publicly identified as Thelma Arnold from Lilburn, Ga. based on the places and types of things she searched for (Barbaro & Zeller, 2006).

Google Search allows you to upload an image and search for instances of that image online. Doing this allows them to use your image from that point onwards in any way they see fit.

The collected data is used to develop a profile that includes your interests, preferences and online activities (Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, 2016).

Google use tracking cookies on your device. These are used to power their AdSense TARGETED MARKETING.

Google shares your search queries to advertisers so they can show you adds related to your interests, this is the reason why you sometimes get eerily specific ads (Learning, 2014).

AdSense is Google’s main income source with Google making over $19 million profit from this during the last quarter (Nicas, 2016). Income that is fueled by each individuals search habits

If you want to see what information Google has compiled about you see your Ad Preferences.

If this has you worried about your privacy you can change your browser settings to block all cookies. This will reduce the data collected about you.

Google still allows you to use their services without cookies, but discourage you by stating that it will stop many of their services functioning properly. The services will still run as expected, you will no-longer receive personalised content or targeted ads.

Google can change their T.O.S. at any time without notice. Therefore it is up to the end user to check periodically for changes. Furthermore, using their service after a change constitutes agreement to the new terms.

As Google resides in California, Google’s practices are governed by the laws of Santa Clara County, California, U.S.A. NOT the laws in the location of the end user.

In summary, it is up to YOU the end user to be aware of what data is collected about you and proactively manage your own privacy online.

References Barbaro, M. and Zeller, T. (2006). A Face is Exposed for AOL Searcher No. 4417749. New York Times. Retrieved from https://w2.eff.org/Privacy/AOL/exhibit_d.pdf Foremski, T. (2010). Google Keeps Your Data Forever – Unlocking The Future Transparency of Your Past. Retrieved from http://www.siliconvalleywatcher.com/mt/archives/2010/03/google_keeps_yo.php Google. (2014, April 30). Google Privacy and Terms: Google Terms of Service. Retrieved from https://www.google.com.au/intl/en/policies/terms/regional.htmlGoogle. (2016, August 29). Google Privacy and Terms: Welcome to the Google Privacy Policy. Retrieved from https://www.google.com.au/intl/en/policies/privacy/ Internet Live Stats. (2016). Google Search Statistics. Retrieved from http://www.internetlivestats.com/google-search-statistics/ Learning, M. (2014, April 2). Sweeping Away a Search History. New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/03/technology/personaltech/sweeping-away-a-search-history.html?_r=0 Murphy, M. and Rathi, A. (2015). All of Google’s – er, Alphabet’s – companies and products from A to Z. QUARTZ. Retrieved from http://qz.com/476460/here-are-all-the-alphabet-formerly-google-companies-and-products-from-a-to-z/ Nicas, J. (2016, July 28). Google Profits Surge on Strong Ad Demand. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from http://www.wsj.com/articles/google-profits-surge-on-strong-ad-demand-1469736762 Peacock, S.E. (2014). How Web Tracking Changes User Agency in the Age of Big Data: The Used User. Big Data and Society, 1(2): 1-11. Privacy Rights Clearinghouse. (2016). Fact Sheet 18: Online Privacy: Using the Internet Safely. Updated January 2016. Retrieved from https://w2.eff.org/Privacy/AOL/exhibit_d.pdf