Google photographs

Does this help?

Thank you Ali08. I will have a try. I don’t know if I have a Google Maps App to be honest. I try to keep away from this type of thing but they find you somehow,

Does it specify which photos Esspee? I wonder if Google somehow has the ability to find and use photos of locations, landmarks etc to use with Google maps. Hopefully they are anonymous and don’t contain any people or personal details. I’d be annoyed as well.

I know when my brother was on holiday a few years ago he posted a Google review of his hotel and attached a photo of it. Within days it had clocked up hundreds of views and within weeks it was thousands.

Thanks for that Ali08, I’m going to check my settings.

Right, I got so far then it asked for my Google password. Had a stab at it, I do have it written down but I’m not at home. Tried to change my password and now they are going to get back to me within 48 hours.
I have no doubt that somewhere in some terms and conditions I have inadvertently given permission as I, like most people I would imagine, don’t tend to read 48 pages or so of vague terms. Perhaps I should delete Google Maps.

Do you have an Android phone? Google Photos comes pre-installed on Androids. Do you use that phone to take photos and use the app to back up and synch to other devices? My guess is this may be something to do with that. Lots of info online explaining how his works. This is from 2019 and may help. Scroll down the article to see how to hide pictures:

www.guidingtech.com/who-can-see-my-google-photos/

Ali08 you have been a great help. Thank you.

Thanks OakDryad I am currently using an android phone and an iPad.
I am sure a lot of people could benefit from reading that link, disgraceful that nothing seems to be private these days.

OakDryad. The impression given in the link is that your Google photos are private.
I think Google maps has used a photo of where we are staying atm with my OH clearly identifiable. If I find they are using the photo of me in the hammock looking like a whale in a fishing net I will be mortified.

Hmm, So how did they get it? If I am understanding the article, the problem arises when you synch your phone to other devices that you log into Google with or create links to share photos. Somehow they have acquired and published your photo(s) without you knowingly giving permission. Essentially they are grabbing royalty-free photo stock from individuals. If you can find some way to communicate with a human being at Google I would be very interested to hear what they have to say.

Off on a tangent but same drift. I’m a family historian and notice that Find My Past now encourage members to log in via Facebook. They say its because it’s quick and easier but what motive does Zuckerberg have for wanting to data mine family histories, I wonder? There are still apps which ask for mother’s maiden name or what school you went to as security questions - things that could easily be discovered or deduced from a family history. I left Facebook when the news broke of what Cambridge Analytica had been doing and won’t touch any of the products in Zuckerberg’s empire. Google isn’t his but are data mining by stealth, no question.