Google has been in our veins now. People search everything on it. From learning recipes to reading books to exploring new cities on maps – Google provides everything, and most features are free.
But, one might wonder, what is the cost of such privileges? Do we over-trust Google? Are we even safe at our homes?
Google has everything. It has our telephone numbers, social security, insurance numbers, passwords, home address, thumbprints, and God knows what. How do we know that our privacy on Google is safe and protected?
Let’s talk about some privacy concerns that people raised.
Google Street View
One of the biggest privacy concerns was the usage of Google Street view. Thousands of people came forward to have photos removed that put them in compromising positions.
The Street View app showed many couples having sex at their home, adult stores, naked sunbathes, prostitute rings, military bases, sex toy shops, domestic violence, house fires, and much more that breached privacy.
Google removed many lewd images from its Street View. Many people were also concerned about how Google collected stored payload data from unsafe unencrypted Wi-Fi connections.
Google Search History
Google has announced that it will give more security and privacy in its settings. The recent addition was the automatic deletion of your Google search history. This automatic deletion feature will keep your record for three to eighteen months and delete it after this period.
Moreover, the option to delete your search history automatically is difficult to find. You have to navigate through the settings and find the opportunities. Most people wouldn’t find the settings.
Deleting search history can help ensure better privacy.
Unwanted Ads
Google also captures your cookies and shows you ads and stuff related to it. Sometimes the ads are on point and what the user wants, but other times they are unwanted.
Sometimes the users are scrolling thoughtlessly, and they don’t want every Google search tracked, so sometimes, this cookie policy can be a direct invasion of privacy.
Conclusion
Google is considerate about privacy in many things, but it is still not enough, and it needs to do better. Consent of the user matters and off-site activity must be controlled.
