The practice of collecting user data, which began as a side activity for companies with access to relevant information, has gradually become one of the key areas for many. Moreover, as it turned out, in order to achieve success, these data should not be traded, but properly analyzed and the knowledge gained as a result should be put into action. For example, the way Google does it, which does not hesitate to collect any information, and then makes serious money on it. The only pity is that its users are often unaware of this.
Google records almost everything you say, even if you don't know about it
Google has always assured us that it starts recording our voice only after uttering a trigger command for Google Assistant or after turning on the assistant from a button. Therefore, the situation when the recording was turned on automatically, the company explained by pronouncing phrases similar in sound to the command 'Ok, Google' or a banal failure that any technique is subject to. All these records are carefully kept by Google on its servers, and those who are against it can either prohibit saving in principle, or delete the accidentally recorded conversation on a special command.
Which Google apps spy on you
It's not just the wake word. Google, we discovered, can record, store and archive your queries when using the apps or even https://t.co/lhIuCc5DLl and voice search. How do you feel about this folks? https://t.co/rDJVotgtyd pic.twitter.com/byA9BW0lpl
– Jefferson Graham (@jeffersongraham) January 4, 2020
Journalist Jefferson Graham found that not only words, expressions, dialogues and monologues recorded by Google Assistant are stored on Google's servers, but also other applications. All programs that have a dictation function can write sounds, and Google has quite a few of them. These are Google Play, Google Chrome, Gmail, and Gboard. Of course, recording is not done in the background without the user's knowledge. Indeed, in this case, applications would land all available traffic in a matter of days, transferring the recorded data to Google servers. The recording is carried out when the user himself presses the voice input key, but this does not make it easier.
The fact is that, firstly, Google does not explicitly warn anywhere that dictation in applications is also stored on its servers, and, secondly, it assures that the recording starts only after calling Google Assistant, without mentioning saving with the subsequent opportunity to listen to everything. For many, this can be a real revelation, because there is a separate category of users who are very afraid of surveillance, and constant access to the base with their voices is exactly what surveillance, which, in fact, is conducted on an ongoing basis and allows you to regularly update the information received, correlating changes in the user's voice, speech and timbre as they grow up.
How to delete Google voice command history
- If you want to prevent Google from saving your voice memos and dictation data, go to your account management settings;
- On the left navigation panel, click on 'Data and Personalization';
- In the Activity Tracking section, select the App and Web Search History item;
- Then open 'Manage History' and delete all your command history;
- After that, deselect the 'Save voice prompts and commands' checkbox.
True, remember that in this case Google loses the ability to update the database with your voice, and therefore be prepared for the fact that Google Assistant will begin to recognize your commands worse, and the dictation function may not understand what you wanted to say the first time. Therefore, if you are not an ardent opponent of surveillance – which you still cannot get rid of – do not turn anything off, but leave it as it is, but remember that your data is a valuable commodity, for which all companies are literally ready to fight.