Pierluigi Paganini
October 14, 2015
Google knows everything of our digital existence and the story that I’m going to tell you confirm it.
The fact that Google keeps track of our researchers is not a mystery, but probably the majority of its users still ignores that Google also record and store every single voice search.
The IT giant stores every users’ searches from its voice-activated assistant Google’s Voice Search and search feature Google Now, why?
Of course Google keeps track of the voice searchers improve the feature and serve to the user-targeted advertising.
The disconcerting aspect of the story is that Google makes a recording of the voice search and stores it.
“Google’s voice and audio activity page isn’t promoted heavily by the company, and visiting it gives a hint as to why. If you have (or have ever had) an Android phone with Google’s “OK Google” voice-control system, the page should show a list of every command you have ever given it – replete with a little play button next to it.” reported the Guardian.
Access the section “Voice & Audio Activity” page in the Google Dashboard and you will find the history of all the voice searches you have made.
“In my case, that means I found a recording of me asking for the nearest Waitrose in Glasgow (well, I am a Guardian journalist), lazily doing Fahrenheit conversions for cooking, trying to get driving directions to an Ikea, and just hurling random obscenities as a dumb, unfeeling computer (like I said, I am a Guardian journalist).” commented the journalist of the The Guardian, Alex Hern.
Do you want to delete the history of all the voice searches you have made?
Don’t worry it’s easy.
Log in to your Google account, and open the ‘Voice and Audio Activity.’
Only If Voice and Audio Activity is turned ON, you will find a the list of your voice searches and you can play each of them.
To delete one of more voice searches, select them and that click on the “delete” button, be aware that even if you turn of voice activity Google will continue to record your voice searches, but using an anonymous identifier.
“Turning voice Activity off doesn’t stop Google storing your recordings, but it means they get kept with an anonymous identifier, and can’t be easily linked back to your account. If you want to stop Google recording your voice at all, well, there’s only one solution: stop talking to it.”
Similarly, Google maintains the location history of its clients, this means that the giant collect your locations just by using an Android phone or by making a search with Google Maps as well as other apps that manage the user’s position.
I am certain that privacy advocates hardly accept this behavior.
(Security Affairs – Google voice searches, privacy)
