Google Launching Auto-Delete Controls for Location Tracking Data

Posted by Evan Selleck on May 01, 2019 in Google, News, Security

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Google tracks your location. It was revealed in August that’s the case even when you might have Location History turned off. But Google is making changes, including launching auto-delete features to give potential peace of mind.

On Wednesday, Google is introducing a new feature that will allow users to select a time period to auto-delete their location tracking data. That includes Location History, as well as activity on the web and in apps. Google says there are two different options to choose from: either three months or 18 months. After you select one (and you can change this at a later date if you decide), Google will continue to automatically delete the collected data after the set period of time on a rolling basis.

“Choose a time limit for how long you want your activity data to be saved—3 or 18 months—and any data older than that will be automatically deleted from your account on an ongoing basis. These controls are coming first to Location History and Web & App Activity and will roll out in the coming weeks.”

This should cover all of the data points that Google uses to track an individual. So if you want to stay on top of it, choose to delete your information every three months.

Google’s announcement also confirms the new auto-delete feature will be available “in the coming weeks”. It is not completely replacing the manual deletion options, either, so if you want to handle it yourself you still can. Google also hints that this feature could be rolling out to other aspects in the near future, expanding beyond Location History and activity.

[via Google]

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