In a world where paranoia about tech surveillance runs rampant, it’s important to take steps to protect your privacy. Advertisers and data brokers may know a lot about you, but there are ways to prevent your voice and audio data from being misused.
Google, for example, has a hidden feature that allows you to access audio recordings of your web and app activity. While Google claims these recordings are only used to improve marketing efforts, there is a risk of cybercriminals gaining access to this information and using it for malicious purposes. To stop Google from eavesdropping, follow these steps:
Open the Google app on your smartphone, click on “Manage your Google account” and select the “Data and privacy” tab. Scroll to “History settings” and select “Web and app activity.” Uncheck the voice and audio activity settings to prevent audio recordings from being saved to your account or Google servers.
To delete any previously saved audio recordings, visit your Google account, click on “Data and Privacy,” then “Web and app activity,” and finally “Manage activity.” Items with a microphone icon indicate recordings that can be deleted individually or all at once.
Additionally, check your iPhone or Android device settings to see which apps have access to your microphone. Disable any apps that you don’t want listening in on your conversations. Taking these steps can help protect your privacy and prevent potential misuse of your voice and audio data.
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Article Source
https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/komando/2024/06/06/how-to-stop-google-listening/73911521007/