Take control of your internet privacy

Google has started rolling out a feature that enables you to set for how long it can save your information from the majority of the Google services you use, like maps, chrome browser, search and all that you do on the internet.

Up to this point, you had to erase this information manually or turn it off altogether. Erasing it implies Google doesn’t generally have enough data about you to make suggestions on what it assumes you will like, or where it thinks may want to go.
Now, you can tell Google to erase personal data automatically after three months or 18 months. Here’s how to do that.
• Visit myaccount.google.com and log in if you haven’t already.
• Select “Data & Personalization” on the left-side panel.
• Click on the arrow next to “Web & App Activity.”
• Click on “Manage Activity.”
• Click on “Choose to delete automatically.”
• Select either 18 months or three months.
I recommend choosing three months, since giving as little data as possible is most likely the best for privacy. However, Google’s movement page says this: “The activity you keep can improve your experience anywhere you use your Google Account. What you search, read, and watch can work together to help you get things done faster, discover new content, and pick up where you left off.” So, it is up to you to decide if you want to leave things as they are.

On May 7, 2019, Google said it will broaden these controls to make them simpler to discover within its applications. For now, this is the fastest and simplest way to control your privacy. Additionally, Google said it will release similar features this week for how it tracks your location, so look out for that soon.