If you’ve read this blog with any regularly you might already know that I’m a fan of year-end reviews. I personally like when airlines, hotels, or credit card companies provide year-end summaries. I like these summaries because they serve as a welcomed reminder of the prior year. They also provide insights into travel or spending habits that I might not even be aware of. In fact, it was the American Express year-end summary that highlighted how much I was spending on Uber rides annually that caused me to stop taking Uber as frequently.
Anyway, in general, I like these year-end summaries because they are providing me with data that I consented to giving up. For example, I know that I am being tracked when I swipe my credit card. Likewise, I know that when I enter a loyalty number that the airline/hotel is keeping track of all that data. So, when I receive year-end reviews from those types of companies, I’m not bothered.
However, the year-end review I’ve just received from Google is entirely different. It seems that in 2019 I enabled some settings that allows Google to track my every move. Then, by piecing together where I took a photo, my walking data, etc. Google has created a “timeline” that tracks my days minute by minute. I guess it’s a bit naive to have not realized that this is happening in the background, but seeing it so plainly outlined in front of me is where things got a bit weird.
My 2019 Google Year-End Summary
A few days ago I received a rather unassuming email from Google.
Until I received the above email I had never even heard of Google Maps Timeline. When I opened the email it became very clear what Google Timeline is and how it works.
To Google’s credit, the opening paragraph of the email provides a link to turn these settings off to prevent Google from storing this data going forward.
Essentially, Google Timeline allows you to relive a trip or a years worth of trips minute by minute b providing a “timeline” of your trip.
For me, it appears Google is only logging data from my Google Pixel 3 phone on the Google Fi Network. The year-end review began with a brief overview of locations visited and then jumped right in to the amount of distance and time I spent driving and walking in 2019.
As the email continued the information about where I’ve been was front and center.
Google Timeline Location Tracking
The email from Google highlighted a few different countries or regions that I visited in 2019. Again, it only had data from my Pixel phone which I took on my various trips to Vietnam this past year.
Next, Google provided highlights for the cities I’ve visited in 2019 which weren’t all that exciting.
It didn’t come as much of a surprise that I visited Jersey City and North Bergen considering I lived in New Jersey for all of 2019. I am surprised I didn’t see other cities like Orlando, Kansas City, or St. Louis. Again, I think the data came from my Pixel’s location services alone.
Next the email highlighted a few “places” that I visited, once again the email summary was spot on. I did go to all of those places in 2019.
Now, this is where things got a bit weird for my liking.
Google Timeline Trip Highlights
In the body of the email was a single “trip highlight.” In this case, Google sampled my Hong Kong Mileage Run which was the first trip I took with my Google Pixel 3 phone on Google Fi service. At first glance, this whole Timeline feature wasn’t all that intrusive. I did go to Hong Kong during the dates listed. Nothing seemed that out of the ordinary.
When I clicked the “View Trip” button, things got a little weirder. When I reached the Google Timeline page I found a minute by minute account of my day. The day started off at home when I then commuted into the office. Next, I completely forgot, but I visited a customer that day in Connecticut, before heading to the airport to catch my flight to San Francisco.
What was stranger still is that Google knew I visited the Delta Sky Club while waiting for my flight from JKF.
Less surprising, Google knew where I stayed, but also knew the exact time I set out on my walk around Hong Kong. Of course Google Timeline knew every location where I stopped and had a log of every photo I took along the way.
For my return trip Google again knew that I visited both the Pier and the Wing lounges in Hong Kong before catching my return flight back to SFO.
Again, I guess this is all data that I realize is being tracked, but it’s very weird to see it presented in this way nearly 12 months later. The fact that Google has a minute by minute account of my day is a bit off putting…
The Rest Of My Google Timeline Email
After being sufficiently creeped out by Google Timeline I returned to the year-end summary email to see what else Google wanted to tell me about myself.
The next few statistics were a bit less creepy. As with American, Google tried to estimate my total mileage traveled in 2019 and was grossly incorrect. Finally, Google showed me my “all time” data, of which is only comprised of data from my Google Pixel 3.
At the bottom of the email was a link to again visit my Timeline where I could also edit how Google captures data and delete any data I wished.
Final Thoughts
WOW! I have to admit, I often try to forget about all the data that Apple and Google are collecting about me. I don’t like to think about the fact that my phone is tracking my every move. It’s easier to turn a blind eye and simply accept that this is happening, but not think about the implications. However, seeing that Google literally tracked every single minute of my day is a bit creepy. It’s weirder still to think that someone could be looking at all that data about every single Google user.
Now, with all of that being said… I overall like the idea of what Google is trying to accomplish with Timeline. Wow, I had to type those words quickly because I hate that I’m saying this. Looking back, it was fun to see and relive my day in Hong Kong. It was cool seeing the photos presented where I took them and in the order that I took them. I liked seeing how I walked around the seeing and a map of where I went considering I only walked around aimlessly throughout the day. I especially liked looking back at my Hanoi trip because I had no idea where I was going and was able to virtually retrace my steps. By doing this I now remember which parts of Hanoi I enjoyed and which parts I don’t need to revisit.
Still, I don’t like that Google collected all of this data “behind my back.” At first I felt a bit violated, but now that I know that this is happening I’m not 100% against it. In fact, I actually which that Apple would do something similar. Ugh, I can’t believe I’m saying this…
