Recently, I’ve been diving deep into the rabbit hole of digital privacy, specifically focusing on Google’s data retention policies. The topic hits close to home, especially since I’ve spent countless hours tinkering with development tools and cloud services, always with that nagging feeling about the digital footprints I’m leaving behind.

Google’s “My Activity” deletion feature presents itself as a simple solution to wipe your digital slate clean. But let’s be real - it’s about as effective as using a garden hose to clean up after a flood. Their own policy states that while deleted activity is “immediately removed from view,” they still retain certain information for the “life of your Google Account.” That’s corporate speak for “we’re keeping whatever we want.”

The news of TikTok’s €530 million fine in Ireland for data protection violations has been making waves across tech circles this week. Working in DevOps, I’ve spent countless hours ensuring our systems comply with data protection regulations, so this story particularly resonates with me.

Remember when we used to think data privacy was just about keeping our credit card numbers safe? Those days seem quaint now. Today, we’re dealing with sophisticated data harvesting operations that would make George Orwell’s head spin. TikTok’s latest fine for transferring user data to China is just another chapter in this ongoing digital sovereignty saga.

Yesterday’s announcement about Gmail’s end-to-end encryption had me rolling my eyes harder than when my daughter tries to convince me TikTok is perfectly safe. Google’s latest attempt to appear privacy-conscious feels about as genuine as a $3 note.

Let’s be crystal clear about what’s happening here. This isn’t true end-to-end encryption (E2EE) being offered to regular Gmail users. Instead, it’s a corporate-focused feature specifically designed for Google Workspace customers who actually pay for their services. The reasoning isn’t hard to follow - Google’s bread and butter comes from scanning our emails to feed their advertising machine.

The tech world is buzzing with Apple’s recent decision to pull Advanced Data Protection (ADP) in the UK, following pressure from the British government. This move has sparked intense discussions about privacy, government overreach, and the future of digital security.

Let’s be clear about what’s happening here. Apple didn’t implement a backdoor - they simply removed the enhanced encryption feature for UK users. While this isn’t ideal, it’s arguably better than compromising the entire encryption system with a government-mandated backdoor. At least now, UK users know exactly where they stand regarding their data security.

The digital footprints we leave behind seem to multiply exponentially these days. Just last week, while checking my credit report (something I do religiously every few months), I stumbled upon a disturbing revelation that made me pause my batch brew mid-sip.

It turns out that simply checking your credit report can trigger automatic updates to various data aggregators like White Pages. The implications of this seemingly innocuous connection between services are frankly terrifying. While we’re all busy trying to protect our privacy in obvious ways - declining cookies, using secure passwords, maybe even dabbling with VPNs - our data is being traded behind the scenes like footy cards at a primary school.