While Google services are often very practical, they are especially voracious in terms of personal data. The use of multiple services allows Google to collect personal data that you have provided directly. But Google can also infer a lot of additional information about you, thanks to its machine learning algorithms, which will allow it to:
- Offer you an even more addictive service (see YouTube recommendations)
- Better influence yourself (and therefore sell your service more expensively to advertisers, you are the product)
This article, very incomplete as it is difficult to follow all of Google's initiatives, aims to list the Google services that are most voracious in terms of personal data, to detail how they suck up your data and to propose alternatives.
Online services for the general public
If Google started by offering its search engine, it quickly expanded its offering to create an impressive range of online services for the general public.
Google Search
The search engine. It's Google's cash cow, capturing your personal data by storing the history of searches you've typed and associating them with your account. Alternatives that respect your privacy such as the American DuckDuckGo or French Qwant are not at Google's level for all your searches but should meet your expectations for most of them.
YouTube
The leading video platform in the world, by far. Google captures all your searches and video views here and associates them with your account. You can deactivate this association, you will then stop benefiting from personalized recommendations (which is not necessarily a bad thing, if you want to avoid information bubbles as well as extremist videos).
If you are looking for a video, if you want to relax or if you want to subscribe to a channel, YouTube unfortunately has no real competitor. You can watch YouTube videos on the web without going to the YouTube site by going to Invidio.us. If you want to host videos online and then distribute them on your site, you can put them on PeerTube.
Gmail
The electronic messaging service. All your emails are stored at Google, so they have access to your personal exchanges, your purchases, your subscriptions, etc. Alternatively, look Protonmail, a Swiss service developed by scientists from CERN and MIT, which encrypts your emails end-to-end. In practice, this means that Protonmail cannot read your emails, it only has access to the encrypted version.
Google Calendar
The calendar. Google has access to your appointments here. If you are at Apple, you can use its calendar (coupled with an account iCloud), but the service is not end-to-end encrypted: Apple has the decryption key and can therefore access your calendar. Protonmail currently developing ProtonCalendar, but the service is not yet available.
Google Photos
The photo storage service. Here too, Google stands out by not setting a storage limit. The counterpart is that you let Google access your memory, at very personal moments, which allows it to know you even better. It is not easy to find equally effective privacy-friendly alternatives.
If you are with Apple, you can opt for the iCloud combo (paid subscription) & Apple Photos, Subscriptions are interesting but the service is not as efficient (frequent bugs when you synchronize photos from your Mac). Also, your photos are not end-to-end encrypted: Apple has the decryption key and can therefore access your photos. As an encrypted option, you can opt for Crypt.ee.
Google Maps
Google's mapping service. Without context the best mapping application, including superb innovations such as Google Earth and Street View, but it is also very greedy in personal data, associating all your trips to your Google account. You can turn off Location History, which will unlink your movements from your account. If you use Waze for your car trips, note that the application is also the property of Google which bought it in 2013.
The alternatives vary depending on your needs: Apple Maps if you are in the Apple ecosystem (respectful of privacy, each call is made with a different identifier), the different applications based on the Open Source solution OpenStreetMap such as Maps.me, CityMapper or Moovit for your trips around town, or Mapstr to share your good addresses.
Google Chrome
Google's browser. Here, you give up your web history to Google, namely all the pages you view. This browser is based on Open Source software Chromium, but Google adds a proprietary layer to it. As alternatives you can use Firefox, Safari or Brave.
Google Drive
Google's online storage service. Google captures all your documents here. Competitors exist with Apple iCloud, but also privacy-friendly alternatives such as Sync.com, which encrypt your data end-to-end. One of the advantages of Google Drive is its application offering with Google Doc, Google Sheets, Google Slides, mimicking Microsoft's Office suite.
Alternative
If you are geek and interested in Open Source solutions, you can visit Nextcloud. This suite of software includes an equivalent of Google Drive, Google Calendar, Google Photos, Gmail, etc. (accessible on Desktop but also via Apps). The ergonomics of Nextcloud solutions have nothing to envy of Google services, but they must be configured. You then have 2 options:
- Host your Nextcloud server yourself (buy one SIN, and install Nextcloud on it). This solution is the most complicated but also the most rewarding: you will have your own Cloud at home!
- Choose one online host, this solution is easier but requires a monthly subscription.
Please note that you will also have to configure the encryption of your data on Nextcloud yourself.
Operating systems
Android
Google's mobile operating system. Pre-installed by most manufacturers with the Google Play, the Google app store, as well as many Google applications (Search, Gmail, Drive, Photos, Maps, Chrome, etc.), it allows Google to consolidate its domination by making its various applications the default choices.
Android is Open Source but Google has added a significant layer of proprietary APIs as well as Google Play. Smartphone manufacturers have no choice but to install the most famous Google applications by default, otherwise they will not be able to access Google Play. And developing an alternative system based on Android is also complicated because most apps in the Play Store use proprietary Google APIs ("Google Play Services" APIs).
The most obvious alternative is Apple's iOS, with the disadvantages of price and the Apple black box, iOS not being Open Source. Alternatives based on Android but without Google proprietary services are developing, such as LineageOS with MicroG. but it is still complicated to make the most popular applications work correctly due to the absence of Google's proprietary APIs.
ChromeOS
Google's operating system based on Chrome. Here you let Google manage your computer, a sort of golden prison where you can only install applications if they are available on the web (in the Chrome window). Google has worked on porting Android applications to Chrome OS but the result is not optimal. As alternatives, opt for a real operating system like MacOS, Windows or Linux.
WearOS
The operating system for connected watches, based on Android. This is currently not very popular, but that could change if Google decides to invest more frankly (as its purchase of Fitbit could suggest).
Android TV
The operating system for connected televisions and internet boxes. If you are with Apple, the alternative is to get an Apple TV. Otherwise, you will be dependent on the proprietary OS of the televisions and boxes.
Chromecast
The minimalist operating system, installed on the Google key of the same name, to broadcast your videos on your television. If you are at Apple, you can use AirPlay. No equivalent to my knowledge, the keys Miracast not performing exactly the same function.
Android Auto
The operating system embedded in automobiles. The Apple equivalent is CarPlay.
The hardware
Google is now investing in hardware, its strategy is to extend the capture of your personal data by going further in personalizing the user experience. The “virtuous” circle: your personal data and Google’s machine learning make it possible to offer a better user experience, so Google sells its gadgets better, which allows it to capture even more personal data.
Pixel smartphones
It is the continuation of Nexus, but Google now wants to manage the smartphone end-to-end (it bought part of HTC for this). After the failed experience of buying Motorola (later sold to Lenovo), we can wonder if Google has a chance of making it a commercial success, but it is interesting to observe the new features that are first introduced on the Pixel (cf. Google Duplex). Lots of alternatives here, but we will avoid Android phones with the Google suite.
The Nest suite
Acquired by Google in 2014, Nest produces Thermostats, smoke detectors and connected cameras. Here, Google is installing surveillance capitalism within homes. Connected alternatives exist, but it is difficult to find those that do not capture your personal data (no end-to-end encryption).
Google Home products
Rebranded Google Nest and so now included in the Nest suite, they all incorporate the Google Assistant, Google's spy, competitor to Amazon Alexa, which listens to your home 24/7 with its ultra-efficient microphones. Who says assistant also means spying among the competition, Amazon Alexa and even Apple Siri. Your most intimate conversations can be listened to by contract workers because they often start by mistake: the assistant that respects your privacy does not exist.
Fitbit
Google's latest purchase, which is interested in your health and therefore now tracks your physical exercises. Here, bet on Apple if you need a gadget but want to protect your personal data.
Advertising services
The online advertising sector is dominated by Google:
- On the media side (with Facebook, Google captures the majority of advertising revenue on the internet, in particular thanks to its search engine, but also thanks to YouTube and its advertising network AdSense).
- On advertising tools (from the acquisition of Doubleclick in 2008), essential black boxes of internet advertising (publishers and advertisers mostly use Google tools to sell and buy advertising, which allows Google to collect its "tax" for each advertisement broadcast).
Google Ads
Formerly Adwords, Google's advertising agency. Shows ads primarily on Google search results, but also on other Google properties such as YouTube, Gmail and on partner site networks via AdSense, AdX and AdMob. It's Google's cash cow, catering to both larger advertisers and small businesses.
Google Analytics
Google's audience measurement solution, used on the majority of websites (Google offers a free version). It is not easy to read through the lines of the general conditions of use and the Google online help center, but it is possible that Google Analytics is also used to enrich your profile at Google (which is not very correct, Google Analytics being a service intended for businesses, with which you do not have a direct link).
Google Tag Manager
Google's solution for managing the different javascript tags on its website (analytics, advertising, etc.). No direct tracking here ("only" your IP address) but this "conductor" solution allows Google to consolidate its domination over Analytics and advertising tools.
Google AdSense
Allows you to benefit from Google Ads (Google's advertising network) on its website. Here, Google captures your browsing and associates it with your profile, to better target you.
Google AdMob
The equivalent of Google AdSense but on a mobile application, also used to better target you.
Google Ad Manager
Combine DFP (Doubleclick For Publishers, Google's adserver for large publishers) and Google Authorized Buyers (formerly AdX, Google's SSP). It is the conductor tool, which will choose which advertisements to broadcast on the publishers' sites.
The tool is strategic for Google: it allows it to ensure that its own AdSense advertising network distributes well to large publishers, while putting it in competition with other sources of demand.
Display & Video 360
Formerly DBM (Doubleclick Bid Manager, Google's DSP), it is the tool that will operate on behalf of an advertiser in order to choose which Internet users to target, by choosing the right advertising format, the right inventory, and the right purchase price.
The tool is also strategic for Google: if it will buy inventories managed by third-party tools, it will also make sure to buy from publishers using AdSense, AdMob and Google Ad Manager.
Campaign Manager
Formerly DCM (Doubleclick Campaign Manager, Google's adserver for large advertisers and advertising agencies), generally coupled with Display & Video 360.
The alternatives
As a user, it's quite simple: install an adblocker.
- On Desktop (Firefox, Chrome...), use uBlock Origin.
- On Android, use the combo Firefox and uBlock Origin.
- On iOS, use Safari and Firefox Focus.
- On mobile applications (Android & iOS), one option to block advertisements is to use a specialized DNS such as that offered by AdGuard or NextDNS.