Google automatically records your voice when you use its services and apps. But there is an option hidden in settings to disable the feature.
You know that very well, Google is a real beast when it comes to collecting personal data of its users. It records all their activity on the web and in its apps, as well as verbal interactions with Search, Assistant, and Maps it uses “To develop and improve voice recognition technologies”. The problem is that the company reuses all this data by cross-referencing it. And more intrusive, if you say ““Ok Google” or ““Hey Google”Your smartphone will listen to the command. So, before you say that motivating phrase, it's listening for the key words, even if it doesn't register everything you say.
The company says that it records your voice activity to help you get better results through its products, by knowing what the voice sounds like, how to pronounce words and phrases, and improving Voice recognition through Google products. The concern here is that Google's advertising-based business model raises serious doubts about using data to analyze marketing and commercial targeting of individuals. Additionally, if cybercriminals gain access to your account or connected devices, they can listen to phone recordings and steal information from data stored by Google.
Fortunately, there is an option hidden within your Google account settings and we invite you to deactivate it. To do this, go to your account settings, via “Manage your Google Account”, and in the horizontal bar, select “Data & privacy”. Scroll down to History Settings and select the Web & App Activity section, where you'll see a blue check mark. Click on it. Then scroll down and you will notice the “Sound & Voice Activity” section which has a blue check mark. Uncheck it to prevent Google from listening.
Doing so will prevent Google from storing audio recordings of audio features from its services on your account. “When you turn off this voice and audio activity setting, recordings of voice interactions with Google Search, Assistant, and Maps are not saved in your Google Account on Google servers, even if you're signed in“We also advise you to delete previous recordings that Google has kept,” notes the Mountain View company.
