# How do I protect myself from Google? I'm confused

**URL:** https://discuss.privacyguides.net/t/how-do-i-protect-myself-from-google-im-confused/40144
**Category:** Questions
**Created:** 2026-08-24T12:56:06Z
**Posts:** 3

## Post 1 by @whatdoiputhere — 2026-08-24T12:56:06Z

Im a beginner i want to protect my personal interests, accounts, and opinions from mass surveillance, surveillance capitalism, and censorship. anything that is direct physical access is not a threat (no one is after me and i trust my friends and family) the consequences i want to avoid using privacy are: being more easily manipulated, being punished for what i know.

(my family is nice but i can tell theyre living in an echo chamber bc of google and meta manipulating their emotions and personal beliefs for profit :frowning: )

(This is not a question on how to make invidious more secure or private just being able to disconnect from past data and make a new idenitiy)

I used invidious with linux mint on librewolf with proton vpn. I notice I get videos recommended to me based on previous ones even if I clear my cache and cookies. (I’m on max safety settings)

I logged into Google (Gmail) without a VPN ONCE and deleted cache and cookies and always use a vpn or tor (in the real browser) but nothing is changing.

I tried out of the box fresh TailsOS (tor on safest settings and with a default bridge) but nothing is changing. (I’m not using Tails again as daily driver because I realize its not for that and its not for me it should have at least some digital privacy not just physical IMO though)

Ive tried Whonix in Qubes on a completely different device (Tor with safest settings) (not logged in to anything) and same videos as on my og device :((((!!

How do I actually get companies like Google and Meta not to connect my devices and sessions together without my explict permission???

(this is my first post sorry if idk how to type right or if its confusing)

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## Post 2 by @disregardthis — 2026-08-25T18:26:57Z

Are you sure you’re actually seeing videos that are personalized specifically _for you_? From what I know about how Invidious works, I don’t think that’s really a thing. If you’re talking about the videos you’re seeing on an Invidious instance’s default homepage (e.g. [inv.nadeko.net](http://inv.nadeko.net) defaults to a “popular” feed), I believe those are based on the videos that _everyone using that entire instance_ are viewing, and the homepage for that instance should look pretty much the same regardless of device. In my experience, Invidious instances tend to show a lot of Linux/privacy-related videos on their feeds just because those are the kinds of people more likely to be using Invidious.

I apologize if I’m misconstruing something here, and I could be wrong, but dude, I don’t think Google would work this hard to track you across different devices, OSes and IP addresses when most people they’re mining data from are willingly using Android with Google Play services, Chrome, Google search, Gemini and every G-app under the sun.

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## Post 3 by @whatdoiputhere — 2026-08-26T14:16:18Z

i posted this a while ago so some things have changed

i admit i am a bit paranoid and jump to conclusions.

I checked invidious servers that ive never used before and there was no videos related to what ive watched before (good thing) but ive noticed normal youtube (not logged in) shows videos ive watched on invidious (using tails)

(i know i sound crazy lol)