How Does Gmail Use My Data?

May 30, 2023

What does Gmail do with your data, exactly? Fastmail explores how Gmail (and Google) uses your data and what you can do to keep your data private.

It’s no secret that Google—the largest and most popular web browser on the planet—gathers user data across features like search, contacts lists, Gmail, Drive, and your Google Calendar. They do this for a wide variety of reasons, the most relevant being their bottom line.

Certainly, information gathered from Gmail may be used to help you write and send emails more efficiently through predictive text, improve search performance, and generally make Gmail users’ experience more pleasant. However, these functions also give Google a frightening amount of access to your private information—from email content to contact info.

Google can even identify where you live, work, or your favorite coffee shop through the Maps app. Though this information isn’t usually used for malicious purposes, it’s still an invasion of privacy.

The first step toward protecting yourself is understanding how data breaches can happen and how alternatives to Gmail, like Fastmail, prioritize your privacy. Let’s review how Google uses your data through methods like targeted ads and location tracking to sell you things and collect your information based on your online activity.

Does Google Read My Gmail?

The simple answer to this question is yes. Google can access the readable text of every message you send, receive, or discard. They scan these messages for two primary reasons:

  1. To collect data for better-targeted ads and search results
  2. To inform algorithms for features like Smart Reply and predictive text

Scanning gathers and aggregates specific information to serve the above goals. Most of the time, this “reading” is accomplished in a technological sense. According to Google, human employees only read Gmail messages for security reasons when investigating security breaches, malicious software, or bugs in the system. Depending on the nature of the security breach, they may ask for your consent first.

What Kind of Data Does Google Collect on Me?

Every search query, click, swipe, and typed message provides Google with bits of data it collects to inform numerous different functions within Google products. Its bread and butter is selling advertising slots, so most of the information goes toward paring down the ads you see to things you might actually purchase. That’s why, for example, if you mention to your sister in an email that you need new rain boots, advertisements for cute, affordable, 10% off rainboots begin appearing across your social media and other platforms.

Here’s a breakdown of different kinds of data Google gathers and how they use it.

Data Used for Analytics and Analysis

One of the most benign reasons Google gathers user data is for general analytics and analysis. Without insight into what’s working and what isn’t, it’s difficult (but not impossible) to build a successful platform. However, it’s difficult to know how Google stores and uses the data after gleaning the needed information.

Things Google tracks for analytics and analysis include:

Data Used to Personalize the UX

When it comes to any digital platform, UX—or user experience—is the most important factor in its success. It doesn’t matter how many robust features a platform offers if the user experience is clunky and belabored. In an effort to stay on-trend and support user loyalty, Google gathers the following data to continuously improve speed, functionality, and the overall user experience:

At Fastmail, we’ve created a beautiful interface that delights users without collecting this kind of data.

Data to Improve Service and Gmail Functionality

Google wants you to have a convenient experience using its features, especially those designed for online shopping. Google Pay is an example of this because it allows you to store your payment information in the app and pay quickly without having to enter your information every time.

Of course, to offer these kinds of services, they need to store sensitive data, such as the following:

Data Provided to Advertisers

The data Google uses to inform its own advertising is more comprehensive than the information they provide to other advertisers. However, they can and will sell some of your data to other platforms so they can profit from their ad space, as well.

Information provided to third parties includes:

Information gathered specifically for Google advertising includes:

What Does Google Do With My Data?

Many of the things Google does with your data aim to improve the user experience, make searches more efficient, and uncover opportunities to design new products. These activities aren’t inherently malicious—in fact, they may make your daily life easier with faster, more accurate search results and tools that help with things like online shopping and appointment setting.

However, Google can also use any data they gather for manipulative or even sinister purposes. Targeted advertising and location tracking are clear invasions of your privacy. While these features are occasionally useful, some may argue the threat they pose outweighs any potential benefits.

Updating Algorithms

Algorithms are the foundation of any digital platform or product. They transform raw data into useful information by organizing it in specific ways. Algorithms control everything from gaming functionality to digital navigation and—you guessed it—targeted ads and search engine results.

Google wants you to see search results and ads that match your current activity. Data gathered from Google platforms like Gmail is used to continuously update these algorithms.

Google Trends is a search engine analysis tool. Google gathers information from frequent searches and compiles it into analytics viewable through Google Trends. Users can explore this data by interest to get more information about a particular event or topic. Businesses also use Google Trends to gain insight into how consumers are searching for products or topics related to their industry and use that insight to expand their online footprint.

Since this information is aggregated across millions of searches by millions of users, the information presented to the public is anonymous and shows trends rather than individual data.

Smart Compose and Smart Reply

Smart compose and smart reply are touted as features that make communication faster and more efficient. However, these features pull specific information from Gmail and Google Drive to suggest words and complete sentences based on your communication patterns. If you’ve ever felt like Gmail was reading your mind, it’s actually because they’re reading your mail.

Targeted Advertising

As previously discussed, advertising is one of the main ways browsers like Google make their money. They sell advertising space to businesses and then host those ads in places where customers are likely to see them, become interested, and convert to customers for the advertised company. This process is much more profitable for businesses if ads are tailored to individual users.

By gathering information on the things you search and purchase regularly, Google is able to zero in on the kinds of products and services are interested in. Google then uses this data to show you ads for those things everywhere they can, from your search results to social media.

Location Tracking

Much like targeted advertising, Google can track your location through various means to show you:

While location tracking is also helpful for parents and other people who want to find each other quickly, it’s also an extreme invasion of privacy. Location tracking information could be very dangerous for the user if it falls into the wrong hands.

Can I Delete My Data from Google’s Records?

As of April 2022, Google launched a form users can fill in to have personal information scrubbed from search results. This form allows users to request that Google remove personal data—like phone numbers, images, addresses, and more—from search results. Since Google is one of the largest drivers of web traffic, this is a fairly effective way to decrease the chances of your sensitive data being exploited.

However, this form doesn’t allow Google to take down the web pages where this information is hosted. The info is still out there; it’s just much, much more difficult to access, as users won’t be able to find it via a simple Google search.

Fastmail is a Privacy-Friendly Alternative to Gmail

Fastmail provides the same user-friendly interface and rich features without Google’s intrusive scrutiny and data collection. Fastmail works on all devices, offers superior spam-blocking capabilities, has plenty of storage, and allows you to switch accounts easily.

We’re passionate about adding features that benefit the user, not ourselves. Here’s a sampling of what we offer:

Fastmail Prioritizes Client Data Privacy

At Fastmail, we prioritize you, not an agenda.

We are devoted to being the best digital citizens and good stewards of your data. You entrust us with your data, and your digital footprint deserves to be treated with respect and taken seriously. Fastmail does not track your personally identifying information and will never sell your data to advertisers because our users are customers, not products. Unlike Gmail, your Fastmail inbox is completely free of surveillance.

Fastmail keeps your information away from Google and other nosey browsers because we understand that your information is yours and yours alone. We put power over your privacy back in your hands by stacking our platform with modern features, security, and the ability to choose the tools that work for you.

With Fastmail, your privacy comes first. You can count on us to be transparent about our data practices, say goodbye to creepy ads, and easily import and export your data anytime you need it.

See for Yourself: Sign Up for a 30-Day Free Trial of Fastmail Today

For just $5/month, you get all of your favorite Gmail features without sacrificing your privacy. Try us free for 30 days to see if you like us, and cancel if you don’t. We’ll still be here if and when you change your mind.

If you decide to switch, moving from Gmail to Fastmail takes just minutes, and you’ll have peace of mind knowing your information is in the best possible hands—yours.