A few months ago, Google announced that they would begin cross referencing data across all their applications. This meant that Gmail could now see what videos you watch on YouTube, and both of them could see what you have stored in your Google Drive. The point of it is that by cross-referencing your usage, Google can serve you better ads for you to ignore.

In response to the collective “the sky is falling” response they received from web pundits everywhere, Google added a “Google Account Activity Report” which users can subscribe to and have e-mailed to you on a monthly basis. I signed up. Here’s what it looks like.

The report is primarily made up of your Account Activity. According to the report, over the past 30 days I have only accessed their applications from within the United States. I have accessed Google using MSIE, Chrome, and “Mobile” (that must mean “iOS”). Ah yes, there it is. Under platforms it says “Windows” and “iPad”.

In the last 30 days I have sent 93 e-mails (to 31 contacts) and received 859 (from 104 contacts). According to Gmail, I read more than I write. Sorry about that, everybody.

According you the YouTue section, my most popular video on YouTube is my Literal Video Version of The Cars’ Drive I uploaded a couple of years ago. Last month 2,200 people watched it, and to date it has 86,128 views. It’s by far one of the stupidest things I’ve ever put on the Internet, and somehow 85,000 more people have viewed it than bought my book. Terrible.

And … that’s pretty much it. There are also some links to make changing your passwords, adding or removing products, changing your default language and “data liberation” simpler, but that’s it.

And yes, I now notice that in Gmail I get more topical ads (which I continue to ignore).