The Information Tech Giants Have On You

The biggest assets tech giants have is access to user information. Many require a minimum set of data before you can have access to their services. While you might start out with only an email address, name, and birthday, you end up giving up more and more personal data as you use the services of these tech companies.

It is important to note though, that a lot of the services you enjoy freely come about as a result of the information you and others provide… freely. The infrastructure on which services are built cost corporations like Google and Facebook millions of dollars to run. It is only fair that they make some revenue from your information to keep the free services running; as it is fair that you know what they have on you. Keep reading!

Location

All the tech giants require some information about your location in order to deliver location-based services and adverts. This normally starts with asking you to state your country of residence. Eventually, you’ll be asked more such as demanding your phone number to enable double factor authentication, especially. This can be needed for account retrieval should you lose your password or username.

Another way tech companies know your location is when you ‘check in’ at an identifiable location, like a mall, a coffee shop, or the airport.
Also, your IP address is collected when you access any internet-based resources. It is a pretty standard practice to configure servers to log all kinds of access. IP addresses reveal the location from which you are accessing the resource (unless you’re using a proxy service). Have you ever done a google search and seen results based on your locations? That is Google using different tools to locate you. This is what you find on the Google search help page:

When you search on Google, we use your location to help show the most relevant search results. For example, if you’re in Seattle, when you search for coffee shops, you’ll see ones that are nearby.

Google

When you post a picture and add a location tag, tech giants like Facebook and Twitter are able to have a better idea of where you are located.

Tech giants require these not only for business purposes, but to protect your accounts. Twitter knows you are in Ghana when you enter your mobile number to activate 2-factor authentication. Other tech companies require it to deliver services. Towards this end, some tech giants ask that you turn your GPS on in order to get a precise location. Google is one tech company that does that in a bid to offer more precise services. Note that unless you need to, you should not share your addresses and exact locations on social media.

Personally Identifiable Information (PII)

PII are pieces of data that can be used to identify an individual or locate said person. With such information, it is possible to single out a person out of a group for whatever reason. They include your email address, address, national identification number, social security number, etc. Some of these are sensitive, like your tax and social security numbers, while others like phone numbers and other information gleaned from publicly-available records are not.

Different tech giants hold different PIIs with varying degrees of sensitivity. Amazon, for example, will require your tax identification number if you are a seller on their platform. Facebook and other social media platforms need your email addresses and phone numbers. Some apps even require access to your phone’s internal address book, phone log, messages, etc.

Another area of much concern is the facial recognition technology. It is used by tech giants to, in some cases, secure your device. Because of the accuracy of facial technology and the uniqueness of a person’s face, however, it is important that you use said technology only on trusted devices.

Financial Information & Buying Patterns

Credit card numbers are also accessible wherever you make purchases online. Amazon, Apple, Google, and to some extent Twitter and Facebook, all hold records of your cards so long as you have made a purchase on their platforms. In addition to knowing your card details, these providers may also have very good insights about your online buying patterns.

Demographic Information

Tech giants are able to know your sexual orientation, gender, income level, relationship status, and political affiliations based on the data you provided in account settings and your interactions on social media. Additionally, these facts may be gathered based on online polls, pages you follow, free tests that require you enter personal details about your spending habits, and other applications that share such personal data with them.

Demographic information helps tech companies curate services and products that meet your preferences more precisely. However, not all such information are always required. Demographic data like date of birth is sometimes a necessity in order for the service provider to ensure content is age-appropriate. For instance, you would need to enter your date of birth to enjoy services from Facebook, Twitter, and to some extent, Google. This information is required to ensure they are not showing the wrong kind of information to underage persons.

Behavioural Patterns

Using metrics such as post, page likes and search history etc, tech giants are able to determine the behavioural pattern of internet users. It is why you start seeing website development adverts on Facebook just after you have performed a website development search on Google. Using cookies and other tracking codes, big techs are able to follow you across platforms and even devices, and present results and products that suit your immediate needs.

Interests

Have you ever completed an online profile and indicated subject or industry areas of interest such as sports, finance etc? Such information helps service providers send more curated content you’d appreciate your way. Big techs are also able to tell your interests and dislikes by aggregating data on the social media accounts you follow. This is why when you follow an account on Twitter or Facebook, you are immediately shown similar pages you should follow.

By collating information based on your activities online, tech giants are able to craft an accurate buyer persona that matches your tastes and preferences. The more you give out, the more they will be able to know about you.

What To Do

Unless there is evidence that tech giants are being intentionally negligent, your data is generally safe. Personally Identifiable Information are encrypted during the collection process, ensuring nobody is able to intercept said information. With the right information, tech giants are able to curate the right services that suit your desires. It is why you see ads about dog foods on Facebook when you do a google search about dogs.

If you worry about your online footprint, this might be the time to check where you have logged in and where you have entered information. Even when you don’t give third party applications information about yourself, they are able to get some information when you log in through other tech companies like Facebook and Google who have your information.

You should always understand the nature of services you are receiving from tech companies if you want to have a better online experience. If you access weather services or check on Google Maps, the tech company will still track your location even if GPS is turned off. In this case, the location is needed to provide the kind of service you require, even if you are not aware of that possibility.

Again, the old cliche that “too much of everything is bad” still holds true. You can limit your digital footprint by limiting your interactions on social media platforms. Data about your children, for example, should be treated with caution. Health data should be treated with equal care. Remember, nothing is really free.

Free horoscope profiling and other psychometric tests, although designed to offer you benefits or insights, may also be engineered to also collect data about you. Some may be collected directly on platforms owned by tech giants. Other times, though, you give them access to these information by logging in through their login platforms. The next time you see a free test that requires personally identifiable information, stop to think of the consequences vis-a-vis the benefits you would derive in.

Be in the Know

You are allowed to see what information tech giants hold about you. Facebook, Google, and Twitter make it possible to download information they keep.

It is important you are proactive in protecting and securing your data. While data protection regulations like the GDPR are designed to offer accountability and transparency, the security of your data is entirely your responsibility. Read the terms of service as well as privacy policy of tech companies and other applications before you use their services.

Note that data is critical for these tech giants. It helps them in deciding the best services for your needs. They draw revenues from such data in order to keep offering you ‘free’ services. If you wish to limit your exposure, however, you should limit the amount of data you share publicly and through third party apps.