INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Google has always argued that the data it collects does more than provide power for its targeted ad empire — it also makes its services
But not everyone thinks that Google should be able to suck up a never-ending stockpile of personal data on its users
Today, Google is taking a step towards giving users more control over some of their data with the launch of a new feature that automatically
deletes Location History data on iOS and Android devices.
The company pre-announced the feature back in May, just ahead of its annual
developer conference Google I/O.
Google had said at the time that location history could help it make better recommendations — like
suggesting a restaurant you may like, for example
However, Google amasses what some would say is a &creepy& amount of user data, right down to a map of everywhere you&ve ever been.
The new
controls will allow you to set Google to erase its collection of location data on your every 3 months or every 18 months, depending on your
preference.
To do so, you&ll first visit yourGoogle Account‘s My Activity section and tap the new &choose to delete automatically& option
in the Location History area.
From the screen that appears next, you can choose which time frame you prefer — 3 or 18 months
You can also opt to delete data manually — something you can do at any time
This is the default setting.
Auto-delete controls for Location History start rolling out today on Android and iOS, making it even easier
for you to manage your data → https://t.co/dX1uoqcR8O pic.twitter.com/Oc3fk66QNm
— Google (@Google) June 26, 2019
The controls are
rolling out today on iOS and Android, says Google.
These rollouts take time so you may not see the settings for yourself right away.
If
you&d rather stop Google from gathering any data in the first place, you can still choose to entirely toggle off its various data collection
settings one-by-one — including Web - App Activity, Location History, Device Information, Voice - Audio Activity, YouTube Search History,
and YouTube Watch History.
