Is Google Safe?
An independent privacy and security review of google.com. All claims sourced from official privacy policies, regulatory actions, and credible research.
Google collects extensive data across its ecosystem — search history, location, device info, voice recordings, and browsing activity — to power targeted advertising. In February 2025, Google began allowing advertisers to use digital fingerprinting, a tracking method it had previously called 'wrong,' making it harder for users to stay anonymous even with VPNs or incognito mode. Google states it does not sell personal information.
📊 What Google Collects About You
Based on Google's privacy policy (December 11, 2025):
🔍 Tracking & Third-Party Data Sharing
Google operates one of the largest advertising networks in the world. Its trackers (Google Analytics, Google Ads, reCAPTCHA, Google Fonts) are present on millions of websites. In February 2025, Google began allowing advertisers to use digital fingerprinting for cross-device tracking — a method it had previously prohibited and called 'wrong' in 2019.
- Google Analytics is deployed on an estimated 28+ million websites worldwide
- In February 2025, Google reversed its 2019 position and began allowing digital fingerprinting for ad tracking
- The UK's ICO called Google's fingerprinting shift 'irresponsible' and said it reduces user choice
- Google Ads cookies, conversion tracking, and remarketing pixels track users across sites using Google's ad network
🔓 Breach History
Google itself has not had a major user-data breach comparable to other companies on this list. However, a 2018 bug in Google+ exposed profile data for up to 500,000 users, and Google chose not to disclose it for months. Google shut down Google+ in 2019.
⚖️ Regulatory Actions & Fines
⚠️ Key Privacy Risks Specific to Google
🛠️ Privacy Controls Available
Google provides relatively robust privacy controls compared to many competitors, though critics note the defaults favor data collection.
- Activity Controls: Pause search, location, YouTube, and voice history
- Privacy Checkup: Guided review of privacy settings
- Google Takeout: Export all your data
- Account deletion: Full account deletion available
- Ad personalization: Can be turned off
- Incognito mode in Chrome (does not prevent Google server-side tracking)
🛡️ How to Protect Your Privacy on Google
1. Use a VPN — Hides your IP address and encrypts your connection, preventing Google from linking your activity to your real location and ISP.
2. Use a privacy browser — Firefox with strict tracking protection or Brave blocks many third-party trackers. Consider browser extensions like Privacy Badger (EFF) or uBlock Origin.
3. Check your browser fingerprint — See how uniquely identifiable you are with our Browser Fingerprint Test.
4. Check for breaches — See if your accounts have been compromised with our Email Breach Checker.
5. Review your settings — Tighten Google's privacy settings and disable data collection where possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Google safe to use in 2026?
Google is a legitimate service used by millions, but its data collection practices raise privacy concerns. Our analysis rates its privacy risk as "high" based on data collection scope, tracking practices, breach history, and regulatory actions. Whether it's "safe" depends on your personal comfort with data exposure.
Does Google sell my data?
Most major services claim they don't "sell" data in the traditional sense. However, they may share data with advertising partners, use it for targeted advertising, or monetize it through data-driven ad platforms. The functional result for users is often similar whether data is technically "sold" or used for ad targeting.
How do I delete my Google data?
Most services offer a data download and deletion option in their account settings, typically under "Privacy" or "Your Data." Under GDPR (EU), you have the legal right to request full data deletion. In the US, some states (California, Virginia, Colorado, and others) offer similar rights. Check Google's privacy settings for data download and account deletion options.
When was this review last updated?
This review was last verified on 2026-02-16. We check the privacy policy at https://policies.google.com/privacy and update our review when significant changes occur. See our methodology page for details on our review process.
📎 Sources
- Google Privacy Policy (effective December 11, 2025)
- The Record — 'New Google ad tracking policy a Pandora's box for privacy' (Feb 2025)
- Google Privacy Policy (effective Dec 11, 2025)
- Google paid $170 million to settle FTC and New York AG charges that YouTube illegally collected children's personal information without parental consent — FTC.gov (2019)
- French CNIL fined Google €150 million for making cookie rejection harder than acceptance — CNIL decision, Jan 2022 (2022)
- Austrian and French data protection authorities ruled Google Analytics transfers violate GDPR — Austrian DPA and French CNIL rulings, Feb 2022 (2022)
- Cologne District Court confirmed Google Analytics use violated GDPR data transfer requirements — Cologne District Court, Aug 2025 (2025)