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Writer's picturePatrick Drenkelforth

Why Google listens to us and how to deactivate the option

Why Google listens to us and how to deactivate the option

We like ease. So, if a company that owns the operating system of the new phone you just bought offers voice search, you activate it without much ado, only now it seems a bit invasive, right?

That's why today we'll explain why Google listens, watches or spies on us; and how to disable the option so that it no longer records.

Straight to the point….

Is it true that Google listens to you?

With a few exceptions, and in theory, the answer is no. And the main exception is when you decide to talk to the virtual assistant on your mobile (Google Assistant).

In recent years, large technology conglomerates have been harshly questioned for alleged violations of user privacy. It is no coincidence, because of the large amount of data they manipulate.

Only the Cambridge Analytica showed how these big tech firms take advantage of their position in society and leverage it to seek more profit.

Google acknowledges that it listens to us

Google admitted in July 2021 that its assistant records audio without the user's permission. It was already intuited, although not in this way. It was an open secret not confirmed by the corporation.

The information was published in IndiaToday, which even reported that Google representatives had admitted to the Indian parliament that its employees listen to recordings of conversations between users and Google Assistant.

How does Google listen to us?

Google listens to us through phones, especially now that the assistant can be used without unlocking the mobile. “Ok Google” is the phrase with which we initiate an interaction with the tool. What is surprising is that it comes to public light that the application can record audio even when the user has not used a certain keyword.

The company's main argument was that it recorded small fragments of audio so that its software engineers could work on improving language recognition capabilities in different languages. Privacy in question.

The novelty here is that in the terms and conditions of Google Assistant, although it is made clear that some audios are recorded and stored, under no circumstances does it mention that employees can listen to fractions of these.

Google listens to you: how to disable the option

To find out what Google listens to you and how to disable the microphone option, click on this link to Google support and go to "Enable or Disable voice and audio activity" - "Go to your Google account".




Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if Google is listening to you?

Google has said that it has never confirmed that the assistant listens to your conversations, and claims that at no time is the speaker or mobile recording or listening continuously.


Where are the audios stored in Google?

To check where Google stores the audios about your searches, go to the voice log page.

How can I stop my cell phone from listening to me?

You need to disable the applications that access the device's microphone.

Conclusion

Although Google implies that it is not intentional that it listens and records our conversations, and that when it does it is to improve language recognition, the truth is that we are not realizing the big data privacy problem we are facing.

So what do we do? Awareness and deactivation are the keys. You own your data.

KW(s)

Google listens to us

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If operating system of the new phone you just bought offers voice search, you activate it without much ado, only now it seems invasive, right? That's why we'll explain why Google listens and how to disable the option


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