A Compilation of Information That Popular Tech Companies Collect From Their Users

Ownership of personal data has become a hot button topic as of late and people are paying much closer attention to the information that they are putting out there into the world. With large tech companies readily admitting that they sell our information to advertisers and other third parties, you begin to wonder how much they actually know about you.

One website, TruePeopleSearch, sought the answer to this question by taking a deep dive into the privacy policies of eleven tech giants to find out exactly what information they have been collecting on their users. These companies include social media giants Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and TikTok, the latter of which has become quite the controversial app recently with some countries, companies, and organizations outright banning the use of it. The chart also compares the data that is collected by ride share companies Uber and Lyft; the popular online forum Reddit, as well as tech giants Google, Microsoft, Apple, and Amazon.

So what do they know about us? TruePeopleSearch’s chart encompasses more than 60 pieces of information that these giant tech companies have been collecting. It includes personal data such as name, age, gender, and contact information; as well as information about the device, browser, and operating system you’re using. A majority of these companies also collect information about your search and browsing histories; which advertisers will use to target ads specific to products or services you’ve searched for.

Which companies are collecting more sinister pieces of information, such as facial recognition data? Check out the full chart to see for yourself!

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