1. Turn
off location tracking
There is something deeply disturbing about a third party
constantly knowing your location. If you allow a Google app to track your
location, that's exactly what you're registering for. Just look at your
location data to see how detailed you can paint a portrait when Google
activates a toggle switch.
To disable location tracking, disable "Location
History". This will also freeze some applications, such as Google Maps,
which will no longer allow you to save locations such as Home or Work. This is
intentional: Google wants that location data and will do what it can to
convince you to deliver it.
1. Sign in to your Google account.
2. Click "Data and Personalization" on the left.
3. Click "Location History" under "Activity
Controls".
4. Slide the lever to the off position.
5. Confirm by clicking "Pause" at the bottom of
the popup window.
2. Turn
off web and app activity
Google carefully monitors what you do in its applications.
When the web and app activity toggle is turned on, Google saves all that data
to a server. To avoid keeping a detailed journal of your comings and goings,
turn off Web and app activity.
1. Sign in to your Google account.
2. Click "Data and Personalization" on the left.
3. Click "Web and Application Activity" under
"Activity Controls".
4. Slide the lever to the off position.
5. Confirm by clicking "Pause" at the bottom of
the popup window.
3.
Activate two-factor authentication (2FA)
1. In the sidebar, click "Security".
2. Click "Two-Step Verification" in the "Sign
in to Google" section.
3. Click "Start" to begin the 2FA setup.
4. Enter your phone number, select the communication mode
and click "Next" to continue.
5. Enter the code you receive on your phone on the next
screen.
6. If the code is correct, click "Activate" to
start using 2FA on all future logins.
We recommend against SMS for your 2FA codes. The GSM network
is encrypted, but the protocol was not designed for high security. With a SIM
swap attack, an attacker can access all of their accounts without a single
external sign of trouble. Use Google Authenticator or a password manager to
generate 2FA codes on your device. So no one can intercept them.
4.
YouTube history
YouTube has its own history settings that you must disable
separately from the other web history controls.
1. Sign in to your Google account.
2. Click "Data and Personalization" on the left.
3. Under "Activity Controls", click on the
"YouTube History" item.
4. Change the "YouTube History" button to the off
position.
5. Click "Pause" in the popup dialog box to
confirm.
5.
Update email and phone number recovery
It is a good idea to connect one of your other emails to
Google as a recovery account. This will allow you to regain access to your
account if you cannot log in, either because you forgot your password or
because something else went wrong. While this gives Google a little more
information about you, it is information of little value.
To add a recovery email, log in to your Google account, then
open the email settings. Set a recovery address in the "Recovery
email" section.
6.
Depersonalize ads
This will not reduce the amount of ads you see, but it will
prevent Google from using personalization data to target you more effectively.
Remember, the goal of an ad is to separate you from your money - personalized
ads are only more effective at your goal. To consent to personalized ads is to
consent to manipulation.
1. While connected to your Google account, visit the Ad
Settings page.
2. Move the "Personalize Ads" lever to the off
position.
3. Click "Deactivate" in the confirmation window.
7.
Encrypt your Chrome sync data
When you sign in to Chrome, you share your browsing history
with Google. While your data deals are confusing about what exactly they do
with this data, it's clear from experience that it is used to sell ads against
your browsing habits, either as a whole or in small groups. While this data is
anonymous in theory, we only need a small amount of browsing data to connect
the browsing history to a real name. It's smart to encrypt your synchronized
browsing history using a passphrase or your Google credentials.
https://www.keyquery.com/internet/google-account-settings/