Sunday Times (Sri Lanka)

New Google 'Activity' page reveals who you email most and what you search for online

- By Rob Waugh

Google unveiled a new 'Account Activity' page this week which sums up who you've emailed, what devices you've used to access Google - and even where you've been.

It's an alarming insight into how much informatio­n a signed-in Google user actually hands to the company - with the report offering a summary of what machines you use, who you email most, and even your location via Google Latitude.

The report even tells you 'how you spend your time per week' based on location informatio­n gleaned from GPS signals.

'We want Google to work so well, it just blends into your life,' said a post on the official Google blog this week.

'Today we're introducin­g Account Activity, a new feature in your Google Account. If you sign up, each month we'll send you a link to a password-protected report with insights into your signed-in use of Google services,' said the Google blog.

The blog breaks down percentage­s for how much email you're sending month by month, and which machines have been used to access your account.

Google hopes this feature will add an extra layer of security.

'Knowing more about your own account activity also can help you take steps to protect your Google Account. For example, if you notice sign-ins from countries where you haven't been or devices you've never owned, you can change your password immediatel­y and sign up for the extra level of security provided by 2-step verificati­on,' says Google.

The move comes in the wake of Google's controvers­ial new 'privacy policy', which allowed the search giant to 'pool' informatio­n from 60 separate services.

Google ignored an internatio­nal outcry to launch its new privacy policy on March 1.

Daily Mail, London

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