Google My Activity: Track Your Doings Like It's Necessary

Google My Activity was introduced in 2015 and launched in 2016 its launch was exiting and terrifying at the same time. This was when we learned more of the activities that Google keeps track of. It's 2021 and this is still scary but, we're already used to this, aren't we?. The same way that everyone who is still using WhatsApp is OK with the fact that Privacy is simply not for them.

Keeping track of what I do isn't really necessary but the data is already being collected so you might as well use it if you can. This is for you if you use Google's products such as Gmail, YouTube, Keep, Duo or simply an android device.

If someone else uses your phone you can check exactly what they might be using it for using Google. It doesn't necessarily monitor your phone but it does every app " I wonder if there's a difference".

Log in to your Activity page using your email ID on your computer. You can do this over your mobile device too. I personally had the best experience on Desktop. I believe you might too. Considering the screen size and everything in between. If precision is of any importance pay attention to your time stamp.

By best experience I meant that it is easier to use on Desktop there is nothing best about knowing what you get to see after visiting Google Activity Page. If it was a matter of choice I would gladly choose not only to not to receive this type of data but for the company not to record this for themselves either. Since this is not an option well, never mind this.

Based on the time that each app was used as follows you can tell that YouTube was used first then Tube came second. Tube-Mate is an android app that allows users to download videos from YouTube. What follows is nothing but my Google Activity, my doings on whatever day of the month this was, I confess to have no idea whatsoever probably sometime last month.

Tube-Mate was my go-to app since YouTube for Mobile doesn't allow us to download and watch videos offline and outside the application I used this instead. Which isn't the best choice it is not only loaded with ads but security is not an option. It works more like a browser which gives you access to YouTube, Facebook and a lot more website that you can download videos from.

Google is able to do their magic, things like Tor services don't go well you get blocked, similar to the procedure that takes place when you're doing a Google search and you usually don't get passed the captcha. For a security focused app you can try NewPipe I did a piece on the app recently you can read more about it here.

Our smartphones have gotten smarter, isn't that funny? We can now monitor how long we use certain apps and give a specified period of time for each app on our phones as well. Like, using Facebook for only 3 hours a day, LinkedIn for 30 minutes, Twitter for 15 and no time for Instagram?

This of course is nothing but an example, how you use your phone and what you choose to use it for is definitely up to you. The first time I had the chance to do this I freaked out, the idea that I'm being monitored and accepted these terms without knowing because nobody bothers reading the terms is even scarier.

Nothing more but a reason why we should look into the services we use before considering using them in the first place.

The terms of service are usually a lot of pages long, this is one of the many reasons why people don't bother reading. We can look-up reviews online too. People who go deep diving into applications and online services usually mention the great and the not so good things about them.

The Pros and Cons usually help us decide whether or not we're making a good choice. With this we compare the information we have and make smarter decisions. But, of course that's a different topic. Maybe a story for another day, back to the topic: We don't really need a reason to look back into our old internet activities but since someone else might be doing it already then, why not?

Are you ready to see what you've been up to? I just had a funny thought, if your phone was under attack (hacked) of some sort it would probably show apps that were accessed without your concern. It isn't an easy topic but it can definitely get you some leads. Visit Google My Activity page here to find out what you've possibly been doing.

Make everyday a cyber security awareness day.