Discover what Google knows about you with this simple trick shared by TikToker @yorgoandlea.
All you have to do is search “ad settings google” on Google and click on “manage privacy.” If you’re signed into your account, you’ll see a list of categories assigned to you based on your search history.
These categories include your age, gender, preferred language, relationship status, education level, occupation, parental status, and more.
While mostly accurate, there can be some inaccuracies. For example, Google mistakenly believes that one of our colleagues can speak Bengali (which they definitely can’t).
You’ll also see the brands and products that Google thinks you might be interested in. In my case, it suggests I might want to buy a Rolex, clearly unaware of my bank balance.
According to Google, all this data gathering is to provide you with personalized advertising. However, you can choose to disable certain categories. For instance, if you don’t want ads based on your age, you can simply opt out of using that data.
When it comes to collecting personal data, Google is one of the most prominent players in the tech industry. In 2022, Atlas VPN analyzed data and found that Google collects the most information compared to other tech giants like Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, and Apple. However, TikTok, the new kid on the block, is giving them all a run for their money.
