Google today announced a new privacy-focused auto-delete option for automatically removing Location History and Web & App Activity after a set period of time.

You can now choose to delete your information manually, every three months, or every 18 months. With these settings enabled, Google will regularly clear out your data at the three month mark or the 18 month mark.

googleautodelete
Prior to this change, Google allowed Location History and Web & App Activity to be disabled or manually deleted, but there were no controls for regular deletion, which may encourage more people to use these features.

Google's Location History feature tracks the locations that you've visited, while Web & App Activity tracks websites you've visited and apps that you've used. Google uses this information for recommendations and cross device syncing.

Google says the new controls for Location History and Web & App Activity will be rolling out "in the coming weeks," and has suggested the auto-delete functionality will be coming to additional features in the future.

Tag: Google

Top Rated Comments

Antes Avatar
64 months ago
Almost pointless... it’s ‘deleted’ for you- not them.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CarpalMac Avatar
64 months ago
The wording is pretty clever, "is permanently removed from your account". Not deleted, "removed", as in no longer accessible.

Whilst I am currently happy to use Google and benefit from the services they provide me, if I choose to delete my data I definitely want to know that the data has indeed been deleted. That's not a delete, just a disconnect.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
warp9 Avatar
64 months ago
I don't have a problem with Google having my data. Their only purpose for it is to try to sell me something I was probably going to buy anyways. Of all the things to be outraged about, shopping is not it.

What DOES worry me is what might happen with that data in the future. There's a real chance of discrimination rising up. Medically, socially, culturally, really anything.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
atikalz Avatar
64 months ago
But google keeps your data forever
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
coolfactor Avatar
64 months ago
Is it me, or does this article completely omit the app that's involved here? Are we talking about Chrome on iOS? Or all Google apps across the device? It's really unclear to me.

UPDATE - Even the original article by Google on this topic doesn't make it clear where you actually access these controls. Is this at the Google website when you're logged into your account? Why is it showing it on a mobile device? Makes it look like an app interface.

UPDATE #2 - I suspect this is what you see when you log into your Google account on a mobile device. Just poorly presented here and by Google.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NickName99 Avatar
64 months ago
Bravo! I avoid Google products as much as possible, because of their shady privacy policies. This is a positive step. I agree with others that Facebook ought to follow this example, if they want to stop hemorrhaging users.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

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