Mobile phones have become indispensable, simplifying our lives as we carry them everywhere and use them for almost anything. But these benefits come with significant drawbacks. Getting hacked is one major concern, but another is how our personal details are stored and used by big tech firms. Think about it—how often have you agreed to an app’s terms and conditions without reading them? Highlighting this issue, a TikTok user, @leakalache, revealed how to find out the amount of data Google knows about you.
The video starts with the text layover “Everything Google knows about you.” The woman then types “Ads settings Google” into the Google search engine and clicks on the top link “Sign In – Google Accounts – Ads Settings,” which takes her to the official Google Ad Settings page. She shows that she has her ad personalization set to “On,” underneath which the website explains how ads are personalized. “Ads are based on personal info you’ve added to your Google account, data from advertisers that partner with Google, and Google’s estimation of your interests,” read the brief explanation.
As the clip progresses, the woman scrolls down the ads page. To her surprise, there is a long list of her details and interests. She keeps on scrolling through the never-ending list with the text layover “Omg.” The list shows very specific information about her like her age, gender, and even the languages she speaks. As the video progresses, the screen displays details like “18-24-years-old, female, three languages including Arabic” and a range of what appear to be ‘interests’ in alphabetical order, including architecture, auctions, audio equipment, autos, vehicles, and bedding. Lea further scrolls through these ‘interests’ to show just how many are highlighted – and the results are astonishing.
It is pertinent to note that Google explains the categories it uses to show ads, including details like your education, your industry, and even whether you’re a homeowner. To help personalize your apps and ‘enhance’ your user experience, Google can use data from its sites and apps, including the general location you’re at when you’re using them. According to Google’s Ad Centre Help, “If personalized ads are on, some of your Google Account info is used to show you ads that are relevant to you.” However, if you don’t want Google to store your information, you have to option to either customize or turn off your personalized ad experience.
This brief 15-second clip has received plenty of engagement on TikTok and seems like a good reason to shift from smartphones to dumbphones. It has raked in over 2.5 million views and around 300,000 likes so far. TikTok users have flocked to the comment section to express their reaction to the clip. @_dankk, commented, “Apparently Google thinks I’m 45-54 years old even though I’m 16.” Another user, @ezras_account3, commented, “Apparently I am 65 years old and I am interested in Utah and TV reality shows.” Some users shared their personal experiences as they revealed what they found when they tried it themselves. Some of the comments include:
You can follow @leakalache on TikTok for more lifestyle content.