How to Check What Data Websites Collect About You in Chrome
PB
Patrick Bushe
April 10, 2026 · 5 min read
You can see a lot of what websites collect straight from Chrome: what they're allowed to access, what they store on your computer and which other companies they send data to. For what they keep on their servers, you have to ask them.
What a site is allowed to access
- For one site: click the icon to the left of the address. It shows whether the site can use your camera, microphone, location, notifications and more, and lets you change each one.
- For all sites: go to Settings → Privacy and security → Site settings. Click Camera, for example, to see every site allowed to use it (or go straight to
chrome://settings/content/camera). Do the same for microphone, location and notifications.
What a site stores on your computer
- Go to
chrome://settings/content/allto see every site with cookies or other data stored, and how much. - For the detail on one site, press
F12and open Application: cookies, local storage and other storage are all listed. See how to check what cookies a site sets.
Who a site sends your data to
- Press
F12, open the Network tab and reload the page. - Look at the domains in the list. Requests to ad networks, analytics services and social media companies show who the site shares your visit with.
A site that loads dozens of other companies' scripts is sharing data about your visit with each of them.
What sites keep on their servers
Chrome can't show this. To find out:
- Read the privacy policy. It should list the kinds of data collected and who it's shared with.
- Download your data. Big platforms have tools for this: Google Takeout, and download-your-information tools from Meta, X, Amazon and others.
- Make a request. In the EU and UK (GDPR) and several US states, including California, you have a legal right to ask a company what personal data it holds about you.
What Google itself knows
Visit myactivity.google.com to see your saved searches, sites visited in Chrome (if synced) and app activity, and myadcenter.google.com to see the interests Google uses for ads. Both let you delete data or turn collection off.
Cutting down what's collected
- Block third-party cookies in Chrome's settings.
- Remove site permissions you don't need.
- Use a content blocker to stop trackers loading.
- Reject non-essential cookies on banners.
