It is pretty difficult to navigate the internet without using one of Google‘s products or apps like YouTube or the Google search engine and others. It is also common knowledge that Google collects lots of user data which has at some point put the company in the eye of the storm. Google CEO Sundar Pichai has now announced that the company is effecting some changes in the way the tech giant handles new users’ data.
Going forward, Google will put in place different privacy upgrades which will help to control data that is being shared with it in a more efficient way. The type of data ranges from Google logs, Search history, location history, YouTube history, location history, to voice commands through Google Assistant on the My Activity page.
The company introduced an option last year to have the data automatically deleted every 3 months or 18 months for new and existing users. The feature will now be enabled by default for all new users. Where the feature is disabled, Google will still automatically delete search history, location history, and voice commands automatically for new users every 18 months by default. In addition, search history on YouTube will be programmed to automatically delete after 3 years. The company says this is to ensure it can “continue to make relevant entertainment recommendations” since user preferences change over time.
These newly introduced privacy options still won’t be enabled by default on existing Google accounts but Google says it will increase the frequency at which the option will be promoted on the affected services. So the promotional message doesn’t become burdensome, users can adjust the frequency of the reminders on the Activity controls page.
Also to aid existing Google Account users to control their privacy settings, Google says it will be making it easier for users to check in on your Account controls. This can be done by simply searching for the keywords “Google Privacy Checkup” and “Is my Google Account secure?” to gain access to a box with your privacy and security settings.
Furthermore, Google is putting out a short cut to easily enter Incognito Mode. This can be done by just long-pressing your profile picture in Google Search, Maps, and YouTube.
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