Many people rely on Google’s services every day, from the Chrome web browser and Google Search to Gmail, Android smartphones and a wide range of other products offered by the company.
For users concerned about privacy and digital security, this creates a significant issue. Using multiple services from the same provider means a large amount of your personal data is collected and stored by Google, making it much easier for the company to build a detailed profile of your online activity.
Fortunately, Google allows users to delete much of the data it collects and limit future tracking. Here are the main settings you should review.
Delete Your Web and App Activity
Google stores information about how you browse the internet and use apps on your devices. This data is available through the activity section of your Google Account.
It includes detailed records of your daily online activity, from your Google Search history to your interactions with many other Google services.
You can also completely disable this tracking so Google stops collecting this information going forward.
To manage these settings:
- Click on your Google profile picture and select Manage your Google Account.
- Open the Data & Privacy section.
- Select Web & App Activity.
- From here, you can:
- Turn off activity tracking.
- Enable automatic deletion of activity after a chosen period.
- Manually delete your existing activity by selecting Delete.
Delete Your Location History
Google actively tracks your location and records it as part of your Location History, allowing you to view where you have travelled over time.
If you no longer want Google storing this information, you can disable Location History directly from your Google Activity controls.
You can also permanently delete your stored location history or choose to have it deleted automatically after a set period.
Delete Your YouTube History
Google also keeps a record of the videos you watch and search for on YouTube.
This history can be deleted through your Google Activity controls by selecting YouTube History.
Keep in mind that deleting this information will also affect YouTube’s recommendation system. As a result, the platform may begin suggesting videos that are less relevant to your interests until it learns your viewing habits again.
Turn Off Personalised Ads
Google uses your personal data to customise the advertisements shown across its various platforms.
If you prefer not to have your information used for advertising purposes, you can disable personalised ads from your Google Account settings.
To do this:
- Open your Google Account.
- Go to Data & Privacy.
- Locate the Personalised Ads setting.
- Turn the feature off to prevent Google from using your data to tailor advertisements.
