This is an archived page from 2019. Find out more
In episode #8 of the podcast To Live & Die in L.A host Neil Strauss opens up with startling information about Google and how it’s tracking all of us.
He advises listeners to go to takeout.google.com on your computer where you’ll find a list of everything Google is storing about you. That data includes your e-mail, your contacts, your web searches, browsing history, app activity, device information and’ as Strauss says, “most chilling” is it tracks your location history.
With one click that can all be sent to you – or perhaps someone else – in a zip file. Unless you go into your account and modify the settings, all the information will continue to be stored and tracked.
Strauss says that tracking includes any embarrassing video you’ve ever watched and any late night rendezvous you’ve ever had. It includes websites you’ve visited that maybe you don’t want anyone else knowing about. And, it doesn’t matter if you cleared your browser history, that information is still there. Strauss says if your phone is with you Google is tracking you.
[caption id=“attachment_2597” align=“alignleft” width=“160”]
Adea Shabani[/caption]
Strauss wound up using the data as part of his story. In To Live & Die in L.A., Strauss is trying to get to the bottom of the disappearance – and murder – of Los Angeles actress, 25-year old Adea Shabani (pictured here). It’s believed Shabani’s boyfriend played a role in her disappearance. Strauss gets access to the boyfriend’s Google data after he committed suicide during a police stop.