I’m planning to start managing my personal budget using online spreadsheet tools, but I have some privacy concerns. I keep hearing stories about big tech companies scanning user data for various purposes.
My main question is whether these companies actually access or analyze the financial information I put in my spreadsheets. Are they using this data to train their machine learning models or for other business purposes?
I’d really appreciate any insights you might have about this. Also, if anyone knows about more private alternatives for budget tracking, I’d love to hear your recommendations. Thanks in advance!
I made the switch from Google Sheets to LibreOffice Calc about two years ago for exactly this reason. Sure, big companies say they don’t scan your financial data for ads, but their privacy policies are vague enough that who knows what they’re really doing. What bothers me most is having my data sitting on their servers where it’s vulnerable to breaches or government requests. LibreOffice Calc runs offline and keeps everything on my machine - way better peace of mind. The interface is different if you’re used to Google Sheets, but it handles basic budgeting just fine. Plus you can still sync files to your own cloud storage when you need them on other devices.
honestly the paranoia is kinda overblown imo. most companies have bigger fish to fry than your grocery budget lol. that said, if ur really worried just use fake numbers or codes for stuff - like call rent “item A” and groceries “item B”. keeps the spreadsheet functional but meaningless to anyone else
Yes, it’s true that online spreadsheet services often analyze user data for security and spam detection purposes. Both Microsoft and Google acknowledge that their systems run automated processes on the documents stored in their platforms, which includes financial information. The level of concern depends on how much you trust their privacy policies. My recommendation is to explore dedicated budgeting applications like YNAB or traditional desktop software if privacy is your main concern. These alternatives prioritize user data protection and provide clearer guidelines on how your information is handled.