How Google, Apple, Facebook and Others Use Your Personal Data (Infographic) A look at what some of the largest tech companies are doing with what they know about you.

By Catherine Clifford

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

antoniocalero.com

"Every breath you take, every move you make, I'll be watching you." The famous 1980's song by The Police might as well be the mantra for major tech companies today.

When you log onto the internet, click on a website or search a word, tech behemoths including Google, Apple, Amazon, Facebook and Yahoo are watching. They track your preferences, collect information about your online habits and develop a profile of you.

Related: Microsoft Launches New Effort to Bolster Its Startup Support

The infographic below, created by San Jose, Calif.-based retail-strategy firm Baynote, shows the type of data gathered by each of these five tech giants, the methods they use to collect your personal data and how that data is used. It also reveals the number of words in each company's privacy policy, suggesting the complexity of each agreement.

Click to Enlarge +
How Google, Apple, Facebook and Others Use Your Personal Data (Infographic)
Image credit: Baynote
Catherine Clifford

Senior Entrepreneurship Writer at CNBC

Catherine Clifford is senior entrepreneurship writer at CNBC. She was formerly a senior writer at Entrepreneur.com, the small business reporter at CNNMoney and an assistant in the New York bureau for CNN. Clifford attended Columbia University where she earned a bachelor's degree. She lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. You can follow her on Twitter at @CatClifford.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business News

A New Hampshire City Was Named the Hottest Housing Market in the U.S. This Year. Here's the Top 10 for 2024.

Zillow released its annual lists featuring the top housing markets, small towns, coastal cities, and geographic regions. Here's a look at the top real estate markets and towns in 2024.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Business News

'We're Not Allowed to Own Bitcoin': Crypto Price Drops After U.S. Federal Reserve Head Makes Surprising Statement

Fed Chair Jerome Powell's comments on Bitcoin and rate cuts have rattled cryptocurrency investors.

Business Ideas

Is Your Business Healthy? Why Every Entrepreneur Needs To Do These 3 Checkups Every Year

You can't plan for the new year until you complete these checkups.

Leadership

The End of Bureaucracy — How Leadership Must Evolve in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

What if bureaucracy, the very system designed to maintain order, is now the greatest obstacle to progress?