Featured Image Credit: @yorgoandlea / TikTok Anadolu / Contributor / Getty
We all know that being online means that we're almost inevitably sharing some of our personal data.
But if you fully grasped just how much big tech firms knew about you, things can start to get a bit creepy.
That's perfectly outlined in a viral TikTok video from user @leakalache.
In the short clip, she demonstrates how you can find out what Google really knows about you - all you have to do is search for 'ad settings Google', sign in and find the section saying: 'How your ads are personalized'.
According to Google, ads are based on personal info you've added to your Google Account, data from advertisers and 'Google's estimation of your interests'.
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For the TikToker, Google seems to know her age bracket, gender, what languages she speaks and even goes so far as to list her interests - which include architecture and auctions.
Since the TikToker is urging people to 'try it!', we can only assume that Google is scarily accurate in its profile of her.
It's had people rushing to check what Google knows about them, with one person commenting: "OH GOD I TRIED IT. THE AMOUNT OF INFORMATION."
Another seemed similarly perturbed: "WHY DOES IT KNOW MY HOUSE INFORMATION AND INCOME WHATTT."
But there are also plenty of people who aren't freaked out at all, because Google hasn't quite got them right. "Why does mine say that I'm 44+??? I'm literally 19," one commenter said.
And not everyone wants to give it a go, with one comment reading: "Nah I don't want my anxiety rising."
We tried it out, and once we'd clicked on the 'manage privacy' section of My Ad Center, we got to the same page as the TikToker.
And the amount of information Google knows about us is a bit terrifying - it was right on everything from our gender, age, education level, relationship status and even if we owned a home.
Of course, it's all very easy to turn off - there's a drop down on the top left of the screen where you can toggle off personalized ads.
While it all feels a bit Black Mirror, some people might like that it helps them get targeted ads - after all, the tech has crunched all the data, and can advertise things to you that you might actually want.
There's actually a lot to explore in My Ad Center - you can even limit ads on sensitive topics, such as alcohol, gambling or pregnancy and parenting.
