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  • An iPhone Security Breech Sparked by Google
Technology Articles > Software > Security & Privacy > An iPhone Security Breech Sparked by Google

Make no mistake Google is a big company. While the search giant might have a friendly face, Google wants your information just as much as any other company. Recently, Google (and various other companies) were called out by the Wall Street Journal for breeching Apple’s privacy policy. These companies went around Safari’s privacy settings in order to track user habits (though Google did not record personal details, just habits). Since Safari is one of the most widely used smartphone browsers, the companies that took part in this tracking method gained plenty of user details.



Google told the Journal that the company had used privacy settings that Google users had enabled. But, that statement should be taken with a grain of salt. The fact of the matter is that most users have no idea what settings have been enabled and disabled. This, to say the least, is a dangerous way to go about browsing the Internet.

Your Google Privacy Settings

Essentially, if you are signed into your Google account, you may be susceptible to various features that Google uses. In order to sign out of these features, you have to read that small print carefully and go through the right steps. The first step is to visit Google privacy policy. Read through this policy carefully. Know what your rights are. Make sure that your privacy settings reflect the amount of information that you want to put out. When it comes to your smartphone settings, there are also a few things that you can do.

Make sure to check your camera and location settings. You will be tracked no matter where you go if you let companies follow you. Select the “off” position when it comes to camera and location settings if you don’t want to be tracked. If you’re using Gmail, you should know that logging into your Google account means abiding by Google privacy settings. Again, you have to read that privacy policy before using Gmail. Just because you are using Safari and Gmail doesn’t meant that you are immune to Google’s privacy policies – if you’re signed in, you are fair game. It’s not so easy to opt out of various privacy policies. But, you can choose which features you enable.

Disable Gmail Settings

You will need to log into your Gmail account from your desktop or laptop in order to play with the Google privacy policy settings. Once you are logged in, look for the “Settings” button. Once you are on the Setting page, find the “Accounts and Import” section. From there, choose the “Other Google Account Settings” option. From there, you can click on the “Profile and Privacy” tab, and choose the privacy settings that make the most sense to you. Google has included all possible privacy settings, so make sure that you really read through that fine print. If you don’t want to share your data, make sure that this option is disabled.

Right now, it’s a bit tricky to navigate through Google’s privacy settings. However, Google has told press that the company plans to make these details easier to see, read, and understand. Google has also erased the code that the company was using to track Safari users. Even though this data mining process was uncovered, you can really never be too safe with your information.