Have you ever wondered “How much do they actually know about me?”
I have. And I've heard that question from others, many times.
Usually it’s asked quietly.
Not angrily. Not conspiratorially.
Just… uneasy.
And that makes sense. The internet didn’t grow all at once — it crept into our lives, feature by feature, convenience by convenience.
So let’s talk about this plainly.
First: There Is No Single “They”
One of the biggest sources of anxiety is the idea that there’s some unified system watching everything you do.
There isn’t.
What exists instead is:
- companies you’ve chosen to use
- accounts you’ve signed into
- devices you’ve connected
- data collected for specific purposes
Google doesn’t see what Apple sees.
Your bank doesn’t see what your social media apps see.
Most data lives in separate silos, not one giant profile.
That distinction matters.
What Tech Companies Usually
Do Know
In general, companies know things you’ve either:
- directly given them
- allowed through permissions
- generated by normal use of their service
Common examples:
- account info (name, email, phone)
- device type and operating system
- general location (not your exact movements, usually)
- activity within their platform
If you search inside a service, they know that search.
If you buy something from a service, they know that purchase.
That’s not spying — that’s how services function.
What They Often Infer (Which Feels Creepier)
This is where discomfort creeps in.
Companies are very good at inference:
- interests
- habits
- rough demographics
- likely preferences
This is why ads sometimes feel “too accurate.”
Important distinction:
👉 Inference is not the same as certainty.
They’re guessing — often well — but they’re still guessing.
What They Usually Don’t Know
This part gets overlooked.
Most companies do not have:
- access to your files
- visibility into other apps’ data
- real-time access to your microphone or camera
- full knowledge of your offline life
Those things require permission, and modern operating systems are much stricter about this than they used to be.
Is abuse possible? Yes.
Is it happening constantly? No.
Why This Still Feels Unsettling
Even when everything is working as designed, it can feel invasive.
That’s because:
- data collection is invisible
- defaults favor convenience
- explanations are buried in settings
Feeling uncomfortable doesn’t mean you’re paranoid.
It means your intuition is noticing a power imbalance.
Understanding restores balance.
What You Can Actually Control
You don’t control the internet.
But you do control your participation.
High-impact areas you can influence:
- what accounts you keep active
- what permissions apps have
- whether location is always-on or contextual
- which services you trust with long-term data
This is where privacy lives — not in disappearing, but in choosing.
The Big Takeaway
Here’s the concept you should walk away with:
👉 Most tech companies know less than you fear — but more than you realize.
That’s not a contradiction.
It’s just the result of years of quiet, incremental change.
And once you understand that, it’s much easier to make calm, intentional decisions.
What’s Coming Next
Next up:
Common Privacy Myths (and Why They Stick)
This one clears up a lot of bad advice.