Despite additional software and physical tools that can be used to reduce the vulnerability of a user’s information, knowing what information is being tracked can be confusing given the technical nature of metadata. For this reason, Google has increased its transparency by introducing a new dashboard which enables users to see exactly what kind of information Google is able to track and has recorded.
In an effort to follow their “Don’t Be Evil” motto, the company has made an easy-to-understand dashboard that aggregates all of the users accounts that are associated with Google. For example, Gmail, search, YouTube, and Google Maps are shown which indicate what kind of information is tracked for each app. While Google Maps may record the home address, Gmail tracks the number of conversations that are carried out. Although different apps may collect different information, the Google Dashboard lets users control their privacy setting in a centralized place so that it does not need to be done on the various apps separately.
To address the fears that big corporations are selling the data for profit, through the Google Dashboard, the company now gives more flexibility in what kind of information can be used at the discretion of each user. Furthermore, the dashboard can be used to locate different information as it is needed such as historical searches or videos that have been seen. Beyond simply controlling the privacy settings, users can also delete certain information that Google has tracked. With a rollout beginning next week on an international scale, the dashboard will be one that heightens the transparency regarding user information that is stored by company.
