Privacy Investigation: What Companies Know About You

In today’s hyper-connected world, maintaining privacy is a challenge. Whether you’re posting photos of your art projects, scrolling through your Google search history, or being listed on public information websites, your digital footprint is continuously expanding. This post will dive into what information you’re sharing with major platforms, how companies like Google track your data, and how even limited online activity can reveal more about you than you might expect.

1. What Are You Sharing on Social Media?

When using social platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (X), and Snapchat, you may feel that you’re being cautious with your data. Perhaps you only post about your projects, art, or hobbies, avoiding overt personal details. However, even these seemingly minimal shares can expose significant information, including:

What Your Posts Reveal:

• Interests and Hobbies: Sharing projects and art displays what you’re passionate about.
• Skill Development: Posting over time allows people (and algorithms) to track your progress and skill level.
• Activity Patterns: Your posting frequency can reveal when you’re most active online.
• Artistic Style and Preferences: This can provide insight into your personality or aesthetic taste.
• Location: If posts are location-tagged, your whereabouts can be deduced.

Each piece of content contributes to a mosaic that platforms use to personalize ads, curate your content feed, and in some cases, share insights with third parties. These data points create a profile of who you are, even if you’re sharing indirectly.

2. Google: The Information Collector

Google’s ecosystem extends far beyond its search engine. In your Google Account’s Personal Information and Privacy section, you might discover a surprisingly detailed history of your activities. Here’s a breakdown of the types of information Google collects:

Key Data Google Tracks:

• Web & App Activity: Tracks websites you visit, apps you use, and search history.
• YouTube Activity: Your watch history, searches, and interactions with videos.
• Location Timeline: Where you’ve been, thanks to GPS data from your devices.
• Personalized Ad Settings: Preferences inferred from your search and browsing history.
• Connected Third-Party Apps: Apps that have access to your Google data (sometimes over 30 or more apps).
• Profile Information: Your name, date of birth, and other personal details.
• Search Personalization: Data that Google uses to tailor search results to you.

Google’s comprehensive data collection allows for a highly personalized experience, but it also underscores how much you’re revealing through daily online interactions.

3. Googling Yourself: Common vs. Unique Names

When you search for yourself on Google, the results can vary greatly depending on how common your name is. For example:

• If You Have a Common Name: You may not appear in the first few pages of search results. This may offer a false sense of security, as your data is still out there, but buried under other people’s profiles.
• If You Have a Unique Name: The results are more likely to be about you, making your personal information easier to find.

In either case, search engines are gateways for others to access public or aggregated data about you, whether it’s accurate or not.

4. Public Information Sites: Zabasearch and Spokeo

Public information aggregation sites, like Zabasearch and Spokeo, compile data from public records and online sources. Here’s what you might find when exploring these sites and how you can attempt to reclaim some privacy.

Zabasearch Findings:

• Accurate Data: Current and past addresses, sometimes links to family members.
• Removal Process: Offers a suppression request, but verification requires outdated contact details (e.g., an old phone number or email).
• Solution: You may need to contact their customer service for identity verification.

Spokeo Findings:

• Search Results: Multiple entries for your name, though they might not be about you.
• Email Search: Can reveal surprisingly accurate personal information.
• Removal Complexity: While a removal process exists, you typically have to pay to see full details before proceeding.

These sites show how personal data can be aggregated, sold, and repurposed. While some offer opt-out options, the process can be cumbersome and time-consuming.

Conclusion: Your Digital Footprint Is Larger Than You Think

Even if you share minimal personal information, your online activity provides a wealth of data to companies, platforms, and third-party aggregators. Social media posts, Google activity, and public records combine to form a detailed profile that can be used for advertising, analytics, or even identity theft.

Key Takeaways for Protecting Your Privacy:

1. Audit Your Social Media Posts: Think about what even seemingly harmless posts might reveal.
2. Review Google Privacy Settings: Regularly check and manage what data Google collects.
3. Search Yourself Periodically: Be aware of what information is publicly available.
4. Remove Data from Aggregation Sites: Pursue removal requests on sites like Zabasearch and Spokeo.

Being conscious of your digital footprint helps you stay in control of your personal information. In a world where data is currency, your privacy is worth protecting.