Google Assistant, how to disable it?

[WheelieBoot]

On the topic of voice activated annoyances, I've been in a conversation with someone and their phone started asking if they wanted to look up something we mentioned.

I've also spoken about something near my phones and then saw a related topic come up on the list of Google ads or articles when I opened it to do a search.

I write using Google Docs and have seen topics come up on Google related to what I was writing about. The same with websites I visit, or shopping searches, Google starts popping ads. If I write about something in a text message, or email a link to myself I start getting articles or ads when I open Google to search something.

The creepiest thing happened years ago before I had smartphones. I had a QWERTY texter on AT&T prepaid and was reading email from a friend. I had a tooth that was bothering me and reached up to feel it while reading. The next screen, an ad popped up for dental work. I must have mentioned the tooth in one of my emails, but it was as if the phone was watching me wiggle the tooth.

I may seem nuts, but I used to cover selfie cams with tape just in case Google takes pictures while we read the screen. I don't anymore but I really think the things are listening. I wonder if they track what we're listening to on TV, radio, and all of our conversations. I'm sure they snoop the contents of our phones. I occasionally get a Google notice on my notification panel saying "a year ago today" and it shows a picture I took a year ago. That is just as creepy as it is intrusive.

I'd go into further details about things I've noticed that seem too weird to be a coincidence, but it's probably too woo-woo a topic for most people here. I used to listen to Coast To Coast AM late at night and they'd talk about electronic surveillance. Callers occasionally mentioned things I noticed about the phones, things that were too much to be coincidence.

That's a good reason to be careful around cellphones. Some people won't have cellphones for that reason, or they keep the phone in a shielded pouch until they need it so it can't connect with the tower. That way, no snooping on conversations, only when the phone is used.

I should try to figure out the Google settings to limit its invasiveness, but there are so many settings I'm tired before I begin. Another browser might be a solution. I tried DuckDuck Go but always gravitate back to Google/Chrome. Have to be signed in to use Gmail, Google Docs & Drive.



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[zapjb]

@WheelieBoot I've given up. Google & a few others already know EVERYTHING about me. It's done & can't be undone.

[WheelieBoot]

@WheelieBoot I've given up. Google & a few others already know EVERYTHING about me. It's done & can't be undone.

The best you can do is limit what you use the phone for, or shove it under a couch cushion so it can't "hear" anything unless you want it to.

I'm sure there are some things the thing hasn't figured out yet. Of course if a person has nothing to hide, no need to worry I guess. The main concern is hacking at that point.



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[WheelieBoot]

I looked up pouches for cellphones to shield them and they have a number of names. People use these bags or cases to protect their debit and credit cards from skimming, or their keyless digital key fobs.

Faraday bag, EMF or RF blocker or protector, or RF safe. Lots of them online at Amazon. I read a few reviews on a cheap one and they said it didn't stop the phone from being messaged or GPS tracked. A better quality case would probably work.

Faraday cages can be built to shield electronics against EMP attacks or solar flares in the event of one that's strong enough to take out circuits.



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