What does Google know about me? Here's how to find out

Google collects a lot of user data, but what does Google actually know about me? Googling the name alone is not enough, because the information is also stored in Google services and is not displayed by the search engine.

What does Google really know about you? The dashboard reveals it!

If you want to know what information Google has collected about you, you can find out with the Google Dashboard. You can do this online at google.com/dashboard. If you’re not currently signed in to a Google Account, the Google Dashboard will ask you to sign in.

• It then presents all the data associated with this Google account through the various Google services. In addition to the information, you will find further links for editing your profiles and settings in each section.
• These services include your Google account, Google+, Google Photos, Google Maps and YouTube. Google Dashboard sorts the information gathered into different categories. In addition to the information, you will find further links for editing your profiles and settings in each section.
• To see the search results saved by Google, enter your name with quotes at www.google.de, for example "Max Mustermann".
• We will show you these instructions again in detail in our practical tip video.

Total surveillance? This is how you see all the activities of your Google account

The Google History page shows you almost everything you have done in the past after logging in with your Google account. The entries on this page depend on your privacy settings and are definitely worth a look.

• To start off a bit more harmless: on Google History you will find your entire search history on Google. Of course, this also includes image search and Google Maps. It is known that search queries are saved, but it is strange to look back on searches that are several years old.
• Your browser history can also be found here if you are using Google Chrome on the Internet. However, incognito mode protects you from recording your surfing habits.
• The playback history from your YouTube account is also noted in your activities.
• The next point is questionable: the app history of your Android smartphone. Here you can see which applications were opened when and how much time you spent in them. In some cases - for example in the Google app - it even stores what you did in the app.
• If you use Google via voice commands, you can listen to what you said about your digital assistant afterwards.
• You can also see your Google Maps timeline. This is nothing more than your location history, i.e. a log of where you were and at what time. To view these records, click "Other Google Activities" on the Google History homepage and then "Go to Timeline".
• Because the extensive data is sorted by time, it is shockingly easy to reconstruct a daily routine from it. So make sure that your Google account does not fall into the wrong person's hands.

Google History: Prevent recording and delete data

Fortunately, you can somewhat contain the internet giant's data frenzy and remove data that has already been collected.

1. To stop your activity from being recorded, click Activity Settings on the Google History homepage. This will take you to a page on which the logging of your history can be largely prevented. For example, the location or search history can be switched off here.
2. If you want to remove data from your history, click on "Delete activities after". Now you can choose what should be removed from your history by category and date. Alternatively, you can simply delete all existing records.

Surf anonymously - the best tips

Depending on the browser, there are different settings to escape Google’s spy attacks:

• This practical tip shows you how to surf anonymously in the most common browsers (Firefox, IE, Chrome).
• Apple's Safari browser also has an incognito mode.
• We'll also explain how to pretend the wrong IP address via a proxy server.

More about data protection & privacy: Anonymous and secure on the Internet

On 46 pages you will learn how to properly encrypt files on PC and in the cloud and to protect your privacy. In selected articles from the CHIP archive, we show how you can lock out data collectors and snoopers, how you can leave as few traces on the Internet as possible and how you give Google a private mode.

• Go to the CHIP kiosk and get the exclusive CHIP guide "Anonymous & secure on the Internet" for 5.49 euros. Then download the PDF and get started right away.
• From simple instructions for beginners to professional tips, such as how to encrypt your Dropbox with OpenPGP, there is something for everyone.

In another article, we show you funny finds from Google search.