Google will no longer keep your location history

According to the latest compromise between ad-targeting data and user’s privacy, Google will auto-delete the users’ search and location history by default. New users can now take advantage of this privacy policy that will automatically delete previous data.

Since the company is committed to user privacy and safety, it designs products based on three principles viz, keeping the information secure, treating user data with responsibility, and putting the user in control, says CEO Sundar Pichai. The new privacy improvements will surely help in fulfilling these goals.

The users’ location history will delete automatically after 18 months. Also, the web activity will come to default to 18 months. Before this feature, the users had to turn on the setting to avoid Google from storing their data for an unlimited time.

This will not affect the recommendations and information you get based on your previous browsing data and location history.

What are the new changes done by Google

Google location tracking, the feature used for many studies and advertisers, is off by default. Turning it on provides users with products such as Google Maps, restaurant recommendations, and much more. Many times, using your location history, Google also recommends you to leave at a particular time to avoid traffic. It follows the users’ location with precise detail.

Now, turning your location history on will delete the data after 18 months automatically. The users also choose to automatically set their location history to delete after three or 36 months.

With the latest changes, web and app activity tracking for the users will be erased every 18 months automatically, which is generally logged on for an indefinite time. This applies only to new accounts. The new account holders’ YouTube accounts will also have their browsing and location history deleted every three years.

Currently, the user’s YouTube history is logged on by default for the indefinite time period similar to Web and app activity tracking. The user can turn on auto-delete option through Google Activity Control page.

There are changes in other privacy settings, too, such as you can now easily access some selected apps using incognito mode. You can browse and use apps privately without sharing your history, site data, or cookies. Also, Google Maps users can browse safely without sharing their location history in incognito mode.

Another feature that will roll out for iPhone and Android users will allow them to long-press on their profile picture in Google Search, Google Maps, and YouTube to go incognito.

The new settings are a compromise done to keep the users’ privacy as the users’ data is valuable to Google.