It is widely acknowledged that Google amasses vast amounts of user data, a practice that underpins its multi-billion-dollar annual revenue. This data collection is unlikely to cease in the near future. However, what many individuals may not realize is that there are straightforward measures to halt Google’s data mining.Google’s latest “My Activity” dashboard provides users with a centralized means to regulate the extent of data Google tracks and retains. We will delve into the interface, item by item, so you can determine the timing, location, and manner in which your data is stored, if at all. Here’s a concise table of contents for quick reference:
Manage general account history
Manage location and device history
Manage account-specific (YouTube, location, voice & audio) activity
Manage Google+ and Google Ad settings
How to delete your entire Google Account
Access to all the options discussed in this article can be found through Google’s “My Activity” dashboard, accessible at myactivity.google.com.Upon first logging into Google’s new “My Activity” section, you will encounter a comprehensive list of your web activity: [Image of Google “my activity” dashboard]. This list encompasses every website visited, every search term used, and every YouTube video watched. You can view this list in two distinct formats, accessible via the menu in the upper left corner of your screen: [Image of Google my activity main menu]. The Bundle View is the default layout, offering a comprehensive overview of your online activities. For instance, it categorizes all your online actions into general categories listed at the start of each time period heading: [Image of Bundle view layout]. If you switch to Item View, there are no categories – it’s simply a chronological list of every individual action you’ve taken online, with the most recent at the top. You can delve deeper into your search history by utilizing the Search feature at the top of the page: [Image of My activity search feature]. Clicking on it brings you to a search interface that allows you to filter through your history by date, time, and “Google product.” “Google product” refers to the specific Google functionality – such as YouTube or Shopping – you used to perform a certain action (these are the same categories that Bundle View uses to organize your history): [Image of My activity search options].Next on your agenda is the “Delete activity by” feature: [Image of Menu “delete activity by”]. Clicking on it reveals a straightforward interface enabling you to delete all history items within a specific time frame: [Image of Delete by options]. As Google notes, you can be even more selective about what you delete by first searching for a certain keyword or within a particular “Google product” and then deleting only those results.The “Delete activity by” option does not delete your location history or your device information history. These must be deleted individually from the “Activity controls” page. It does delete your search history, website visits, and YouTube search/watch histories.Next, explore the “Other Google activity” category: [Image of Other activity menu]. Clicking on it takes you to a separate page detailing the exact information Google tracks: [Image of Other activity menu].Location historyIf you own an Android device with location services enabled, Google has precise knowledge of your whereabouts. Many Android devices have location services enabled by default or are set up in a manner that requires users to enable them without much thought. Below is a snapshot of my location history according to Google: [Image of Location history map]. It’s approximately 100% accurate.Should you feel uncomfortable about this, rest assured there are steps you can take to conceal your movements from Google.
Disable Google Location Services on your Android device: This is the simplest solution to avoid being tracked by Google. However, it’s easier said than done. Without Android’s Location Services active, any app requiring location services (Google Maps, most other GPS apps, etc.) will be rendered useless.
Pause the “Location History” service: You can do this from the main map screen upon viewing your location history in My Activity. Google will no longer track the movement of your device: [Image of Location history tracking on/off].
Delete your location history: Google allows you to both export and delete your entire location history. You can access both options from the row of buttons on the bottom-right corner. Click on the Gear icon to open the menu shown below, or click on the Trash icon to simply delete your Location History: [Image of Delete location history].If you’re hesitant to放弃 your Location Services functionality and prefer not to pause the location history service, deleting your history is the best alternative. You can log in periodically and erase your entire location history. Google also presents you with a cautionary warning when you go to delete your history: [Image of Delete location info confirmation]. But don’t let it deter you – nothing will actually break.Device informationThis applies only if you own Android devices or use Google’s app suite. It’s a list of every instance your mobile device shares information with Google, from app updates to contact updates and more: [Image of Device information menu].Google Play Sound Search HistoryThe “Google Play Sound Search” history tab lists every song you’ve identified using Google’s Sound Search widget. Since I don’t use the widget, I don’t have a sample history here: [Image of Google play sound search menu]. If I did, the card that reads “No items to show” would list each search term I’ve ever used – at least since the last time I deleted my search history.Google asserts that only you can see this data, but deleting it is a significant step towards preserving your privacy.YouTube “Not interested” feedbackWhenever you mark a recommended YouTube video as “Not Interested,” Google stores that preference and utilizes it to provide you with a more personalized selection of recommended YouTube videos. You can’t view an itemized list of what videos you’ve marked as “Not Interested,” but you can delete the entire history from this page.Clicking on “Learn more” takes you to a YouTube support page that offers more detail on what “Not Interested” is and how it operates.Download your past searchesThe last option on this page is the ability to create an archive of your entire recorded search history, which you can then download. Due to the varying file sizes based on how far back your history goes, Google saves the archive to the “Takeout” folder of your Google Drive account.You’ll receive an email when Google has completed preparing the archive, and then you can download it directly from your Drive page.The “Activity controls” menu is likely why most of you are reading this post. If you wish to delete your data and instruct Google to cease tracking you and collecting your information, this is where you should go: [Image of Menu – Activity controls]. When you navigate to Activity controls, you’ll see a variety of service cards that look like this: [Image of Activity control service cards]. As you scroll down, there’s a card for every category of information that Google tracks: Web & App Activity, Location History, Device Information, Voice & Audio Activity, YouTube Search History, and YouTube Watch History.Each of these cards has an on/off button that indefinitely pauses all data collection for that type: [Image of Activity service cards on/off button]. Clicking on the switch will display a message from Google emphasizing the importance of keeping all information collection active to serve you the most relevant information, provide the best suggestions, and so on. If you’re on the fence about turning this information mining off, don’t let the warnings scare you. For the vast majority of Internet users, preventing Google from storing this information won’t appreciably affect anything you do.Each card also features a “MANAGE ACTIVITY” link that takes you to the settings page for that specific service. We’ve already covered the settings page for Web & App Activity, Location History, and Device Information. Clicking on these activity categories will direct you to the exact same pages we discussed earlier. We will delve into the other three activity categories below:Voice & Audio Activity[Image of Voice and Audio activity card]. Google’s Voice & Audio Activity encompasses any speech or audio input sent to Google.This includes voice search, voice-activated Google Now features, and more. To delete all of this information, click on “MANAGE ACTIVITY” and then click on the three dots to open up your options menu: [Image of voic & audio activity card]. Choosing the “Delete activity by” option will take you back to the general delete screen, where you can select to clear all of your data within a specified time period. If you only want to delete entries from the Voice & Audio log, you can click on the “Select” option.You’ll see a screen like the one below, where you can check off and delete specific entries using the Trash Can icon: [Image of Delete by item menu].YouTube Search History[Image of Youtube Search History card]. Here you can click on “MANAGE ACTIVITY” to see a complete history of all YouTube searches you’ve made. To delete your YouTube data, navigate to the three dots and select “Delete activity by” to clear out large chunks of data, or “Select” to pick and choose individual entries to delete: [Image of Manage activity delete menu].YouTube Watch HistoryThis is exactly the same as your YouTube Search History but lists the videos you’ve actually watched: [Image of Youtube watch history menu]. Just like before, you can manage your watch history by clicking on the three dots and selecting “Delete activity by” to clear out a specified period of time, or “Select” to pick and choose individual videos watched to delete.Related settingsAt the bottom of the Activity controls page, there’s a section called “Related settings”: [Image of Related settings menu]. Let’s go through the options on this list to see what settings are available to you.Google+Click on the “Google+” option, and you’ll land on the settings page for your Google+ account. This page allows you to control the public visibility of information associated with your G+ account, how you receive G+ notifications, and much more. If you’re concerned about having photos on your G+ account, there are a variety of controls dictating who can see your photos, what Google can do with them, and so on: [Image of Google+ Settings menu]. If you scroll to the bottom of the settings page, this is where you can delete your Google+ account if you decide to: [Image of Delete Google+ option]. Click on “Delete your Google+ profile here,” and you’ll be directed to the following page: [Image of Delete Google+ profile menu]. This page outlines what happens when you “delete” your account.Click on the “Google+” section to expand it, and Google explains exactly what gets deleted, what happens to your information, and what isn’t actually deleted without further action from you: [Image of Delete Google+ details]. You can also click on the “Google+ Pages” and “Your public Google+ profile will be deleted” sections for more information on what will happen to any Google+ pages you own, as well as some additional information about deleting your Google+ account: [Image of Delete Google+ additional info]. Please note: deleting your Google+ account is permanent. You will not be able to recover your account once it’s been deleted. You’ll have to start a brand new Google+ account. Google does provide their own support post on deleting your G+ account here.Deleting your Google+ account is not the same as deleting your entire Google Account, which we cover here.Shared endorsementsReturning to the “Related settings” menu, the next option is “Shared Endorsements.” Click on it, and you’ll land on a page explaining what Shared Endorsements are and giving you the option to turn them on or off: [Image of Shared endorsements options]. Essentially, if you have an active G+ profile, Shared Endorsements are recommendations from friends that are automatically included in search results. Google provides the example of searching for a restaurant a friend has visited and reviewed, with their review appearing as part of an ad in your search results.They’re a straightforward way to let you know that friends or family have already been to and/or reviewed a business location you’re interested in.Search settingsThird on the “Related settings” list is “Search settings.” These don’t have much to do with your data but are associated with how Google displays your search results: [Image of Search settings pages]. These options are self-explanatory, and you can decide things like how many
