Big Tech giant Google has been found recording people’s voices without their knowledge to help send them ads — and the recordings are stored for data collection.
Do you use verbal apps such as Siri and Alexa? Do you find that the ads showing up as you use the internet are oddly specific to your desires or needs?
It appears that Google, which has fought against user privacy rights tooth and nail, is saving the audio it records from web and app activity. It also saves sound recorded using Search, Assistant and Maps, the U.K.’s Daily Mail reported Thursday.
The search giant claims it uses the recordings “to develop and improve its audio recognition technologies.”
Users, though, might not be so keen on helping Google run its advertising empire.
The company has admitted that it saves these recordings and says it shares them with its programmers to “help improve its services.”
Some have sued Google over these recordings, according to CNET. However, they usually lose in court because Google reveals in its terms and services agreements that it saves and distributes these recordings.
A tech expert noted it is possible to turn off these recording capabilities so that users are not helping Google feather its nest.
In a video posted to Instagram, tech entrepreneur Jeffrey Castillo explained that users can turn off the function by going to their “Manage Your Google Account” section.
Do you trust Google with your privacy?
While in the manage section, users need to select the “Data and Privacy” tab, then scroll down to the “Web & App activity” section. It might have a blue check mark next to it.
Click into the privacy section, scroll down to voice and audio settings and make sure that it is not checked. The audio functions will still work, but the data will no longer be collected.
Users should be aware that once these checkmarks are turned off, Google won’t save your searches in the autofill — even the recent ones.
“When this voice and audio activity setting is off, audio recordings from voice interactions with Google Search, Assistant, and Maps won’t be saved to your Google Account on Google servers, even if you’re signed in,” the company said.
Still, turning off all these features does not mean past data has been deleted. If users want to delete this past activity, more needs to be done. Users have to go into their activity and delete their past data to stop snoopers.
Other Big Tech companies, including Amazon and Apple, also use voice data from Alexa- and Siri-style apps for marketing purposes — and it “poses a major privacy concern,” according to the Daily Mail.
Cybercriminals and hackers can tap into and use this data.
These recordings can serve a useful purpose for users, helping them remember things they were searching for or even acting as a sort of diary of activities. But users might also be reminded of just how much personal information is saved, The Independent noted.
Users should take steps to safeguard their data. Resist downloading dodgy apps, turn off location services and take the steps above to turn off recording. Users also can download a VPN to prevent hackers, and maintain virus and malware detection apps.
In the end, most tech advisers suggest that users delete these recordings just to be on the safe side.
