Sometimes it’s just not OK Google
While the idea that Google keeps track of all its users’ activities like a creepy stalker is no longer news — many users are still unaware that not only does the service keep tabs on its users’ online activities, it also records every word each user has ever spoken on OK Google, too.
And it’s not OK Google.
Users who so much as uttered a word to Google’s voice-controlled assistant in the past will find recordings of such nature on their respective Google accounts — and the company explains that these data are being kept to help improve user experience by paving way for the system to pick up its users’ regular search history as well as by enhancing Google Now’s voice recognition system.
The good news is that there is another door left open for Google users.
They have the option to replay as well as delete some or all of the voice and audio activities ever recorded of them on their devices — which indicates that Google seems to have no malicious intent of sorts that can be directly attributed to such actions, including that of keeping voice recordings of its users, even though the same was done without their knowledge.
And it might be for these reasons exactly that users will still want to continue saying OK Google, regardless of the baggage that comes with using it.
Some of Google Now’s closest rivals, Apple’s Siri and Microsoft’s Cortana, seem to be just as guilty in terms of recording its users’ voice commands without their express knowledge, but only Google Now actually gives its users the option to do something about these recordings.
Google Now users who wish to completely eradicate trails of their likely short-lived Google Now life can do just that by going to Google’s History page and the tapping on the Voice & Activity tab.
This way, everything will be OK Google.