As of now, this functionality is being launched in Google Search on desktop & mobile Web. Soon, it will be extended to Google app for iOS & Android. In the coming year, Google plans to expand this improvement to Maps & other Google products.
The data you generate while searching is accumulated in your search records. This, the tech giant says, serves a purpose in bettering & improving the search for its users. Also, based on the device settings, it can personalize your search.
Google claims to have taken a slew of measures to safeguard user privacy post the many data breach scenarios. In August, an investigation by news agency Associated Press (AP) revealed that many Google services on Android devices & iPhones store your location data even if you’ve used a privacy setting that supposedly tells Google not to do so. Not to mention the shutting of its Google + platform owing to a flaw that had exposed the private data of 1000s of users. Also, it backtracked on its earlier auto syncing feature. Now, the latest Chrome update allows users to opt for turning off linking Web-based sign-in with browser-based sign-in. By disabling this feature, you’ll be able to sign into a Google Site but not into Chrome, which was the case earlier.
Apart from new Google Account experience that it launched earlier this year to strengthen user privacy & security, it claims to have updated the privacy policy with videos to inform users in a clearer fashion its aim on data accumulation & how a user can control it.
The current measure is about reviewing or erasing your history without quitting Search, access related privacy controls in your Google Account quickly & understand how “Search works with your data”.
Having access to relevant & actionable privacy controls directly from the Google products you use every day is just one way that we are continuously working to build privacy that works for everyone.
How to control your data in Google products:
- You generate data about your activity whenever you use any Google product like any phrase, word you look for, links you use often or your current location while searching.
- Previously, you would visit your Google Account to review or manage this data.
Now, you can directly within Search review or delete your Search activity. - New controls help you get quick access to the privacy controls in your Google Account that gain relevance as you use Search.
- You can now control ads you see when you search with access to your Ad Settings.
- In addition, for data sharing, you can access your Activity Controls to decide information that Google can save to your account & use. This is in order to make “Search & other Google services faster, smarter & more useful.”
- You may also take a look at the short video on the blog to understand what data is being generated as you use Google services & the company utilizes it to better your experience.