Join our Waitlist for Expert Advice!

How Google, Apple, Facebook and Others Use Your Personal Data (Infographic) A look at what some of the largest tech companies are doing with what they know about you.

By Catherine Clifford

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

antoniocalero.com

"Every breath you take, every move you make, I'll be watching you." The famous 1980's song by The Police might as well be the mantra for major tech companies today.

When you log onto the internet, click on a website or search a word, tech behemoths including Google, Apple, Amazon, Facebook and Yahoo are watching. They track your preferences, collect information about your online habits and develop a profile of you.

Related: Microsoft Launches New Effort to Bolster Its Startup Support

The infographic below, created by San Jose, Calif.-based retail-strategy firm Baynote, shows the type of data gathered by each of these five tech giants, the methods they use to collect your personal data and how that data is used. It also reveals the number of words in each company's privacy policy, suggesting the complexity of each agreement.

Click to Enlarge +
How Google, Apple, Facebook and Others Use Your Personal Data (Infographic)
Image credit: Baynote
Catherine Clifford

Senior Entrepreneurship Writer at CNBC

Catherine Clifford is senior entrepreneurship writer at CNBC. She was formerly a senior writer at Entrepreneur.com, the small business reporter at CNNMoney and an assistant in the New York bureau for CNN. Clifford attended Columbia University where she earned a bachelor's degree. She lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. You can follow her on Twitter at @CatClifford.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business News

You Have One Month Left to Buy a House, According to Barbara Corcoran. Here's Why.

"If you are planning on waiting a year and seeing where interest rates go, you are out of your mind," Corcoran said.

Franchise

The McRib Is Back, But Only at Select McDonald's — Here's Where to Find It

This scarcity is nothing new. In 2022, McDonald's announced a "Farewell Tour" for the McRib, suggesting that it might be the last time customers could get their hands on it.

Business News

These 3 Side Hustles Make the Most Money While Working Fewer Hours, According to a New Survey

The survey also found that having a side hustle doubled as a path to becoming more employable.

Side Hustle

I Made $14,000 in 1 Week With a Spontaneous Halloween Costume Side Hustle — Here's How

Sabba Keynejad was in art school when he started to refine his entrepreneurial skills.

Business News

This Is the Goal-Setting Method Shohei Ohtani Learned in High School That Helped Get Him to the World Series

The MLB superstar's success did not come as a surprise to him. He had a plan.

Business News

This New Restaurant Is Banking on One Dish — Because It's the Only Entrée on the Menu

The new hotspot is gaining buzz on social media for its innovative yet super simple concept.