If you ever thought that Social Media is violating your privacy, think again. You are your enemy number one on social media. Without reading the fine print, you have consented to dozens of platforms to retrieve, store and benefit from your data.

Simply put, the highest level of privacy invasion happens with your consent – with the privacy intrusion consent you have accepted while signing for the services of these platforms.

Following details will blow you out of your mind and may open your eyes on how to use Social Media platform more responsibly.

Google knows where you’ve been so far (secretly too)

Google tracks and stores your location, once location service is turned on – through all the devices you own. If you still don’t believe, click the link below to see the timeline of the places you have been since activating Google Location Services in your devices: google.com/maps/timeline?…

Google knows everything you’ve ever searched (and deleted)

Google maintains search history from all the devices you have used and been using. Even if you delete your search history on your device immediately after the search, it will still retain the search details. See it for believing: myactivity.google.com/myactivity

Google has created an Ad profile of you (and sells it back to you)

Google generates an advertisement profile of you based on your information, including your location, gender, age, hobbies, career, interests, relationship status, health records, income and all the key information you have ever used through Google. Let’s take a peep into your Ad profile: google.com/settings/ads/

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Suggested Reading: Whose Data is it anyway: Do you control your data? Click here to read the news story.

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Google knows all the apps you use (and even the time you sleep)

If you think you are out of the purview of Google by using non-Google apps, you are mistaken. Google knows every app and extension you use, how often you use them, where you use them, and who you use them to interact with.

It would mean that Google knows whom you talk to on Facebook, Skype, Vimeo etc., which countries are your contacts located, and even what time you would go to sleep and wake up. Why not test it, right now: security.google.com/settings/secur…

Google has your YouTube history (it knows how you’re doing in relations)

If you are a user of YouTube, Google keeps track your YouTube activities and maintains as a file. Therefore, it knows whether you are planning for a date, preparing to be a parent soon or preparing for a separation or divorce.

Google would also know from YouTube history whether you are aligned to right, left or centre when it comes to political views, your religion and sexual orientation. Can’t believe it? See it for yourselves: youtube.com/feed/history/s…

Google has your WhatsApp exchanges (knows whether you are filthy minded or not)

If you ever backed up your WhatsApp chats on a Google Drive, Google keeps the data. Google knows whom are you communicating with on serious matters and whom are you exchanging forwards with.

Google also knows, from your WhatsApp chats, what kind of a mind-set you have – filthy if you are exchanging dirty messages and video clips, humourist if you exchange innocent jokes and so on.

Of course, Facebook knows more than Google because Facebook owns WhatsApp and has unlimited access to your WhatsApp data. https://faq.whatsapp.com/en/android/20887921/

The Google data on you runs into millions of pages

Try downloading your Google data which includes your bookmarks, emails, contacts, Google Drive files, YouTube videos, photos taken on your devices, the businesses you have bought from, the products you have bought through Google.

It will also have data from your calendar, Google hangout chats, your location history, the music you listen to, books you have bought, details of Google groups you are in, the websites you have created, the phones you have owned, the pages you have shared, and to the extent of how many steps you walk in a day.

It is a mine of information about you, and most of which you have never bothered to care. Download your own data here: google.com/takeout

Facebook too has piles of your data

Facebook too is sitting on a mine of your data from the time you joined Facebook. Every message, file, photo and sticker you have ever sent or been sent, all the contacts in your device, and all the audio clips you have ever sent or been sent. Click here to see your data: https://www.facebook.com/help/131112897028467

LinkedIn too spies on you (more of professional spying)

Linked too keeps reams of your data. This includes your profile, connections, contacts imported from elsewhere, articles you ever published through LinkedIn, message you received or sent, invitations and recommendations. You can download your LinkedIn data here: https://www.linkedin.com/psettings/member-data

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Disclaimer: Views expressed in the article are personal views and not in any manner to be construed as its author’s employer’s or Indian IT Industry’s views.