Google Dashboard

In computing, Google Dashboard lets users of the Internet view and manage personal data collected about them by Google Inc. With an account, Google Dashboard allows users to have a summary view of Gmail, YouTube, Google Docs, and more. Once logged in, it summarizes data for each product the user use and provides direct links to products. The program allows setting preferences for personal account products.

To access, users sign into a Google account with username and password.^[1] Once signed in, select Google account settings options in top right corner and then click on the Dashboard link titled View data stored with the account. After verifying account password, users can view Dashboard organized according to products of use. From Dashboard, users will also be able to view data associated with the account.

The only information that is shared with Google Dashboard is information generated while one is logged into an account. All data in Dashboard is considered private unless settings are changed.^[2] Google allows the user control of all the information that they provide and allows the data submitted to be purged from each app.

Some applications link to new sections, while other settings stay within the page. The user also has access, from the dashboard, to special settings. Two-step verification is an example of this, which requires a verification code to be entered that is sent to the user’s phone when logging into a new machine and every-time cookies are cleaned.

Two step verification, search history, location history, and preferences are available for all applications.

Purpose

Privacy and convenience

The main purpose of Google Dashboard was that people would have a central location to see what data has been collected about them.^[3] Google Dashboard also provides users with a way to manage their account for each service they use. Links are located next to each service, meaning that if a user wanted to manage their YouTube account, a direct link to their account management page will be located in their Google Dashboard.^[4] Using that link will enable users to manage their privacy settings or sharing options on the video site. Google Dashboard enables users to gain access to the company’s most often-used services, like their search history, Gmail account, YouTube, GTalk, Google Reader, and Google Docs.^[5] These items are all supported by Dashboard and as the user scroll through them, Dashboard displays all the account settings for each service and any recent activity. For example, Dashboard will show appointments on the Google Calendar, messages in the Gmail inbox, recently shared or viewed documents from Google Docs, and status in Gchat, among other updates.

If a user is uncomfortable with the presence of their Google search history, they can remove specific items or clear the entire history using their Google Dashboard.^[6] Every service listed in a person’s Dashboard also includes a link to that service’s privacy policies.^[7]

References

External links

• Google Dashboard