Google to Start Deleting User Data by Default

Following Apple’s announcement of new security and privacy features at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on Monday, Google is also dipping its toes into a more privacy-oriented world. The company announced on Wednesday a string of new improvements to its default data practices, which include auto-deleting information of new users after 18 months. The news comes on the heels of Google’s privacy and security upgrades to Android 11, but the new changes will focus on data collection and storage period.

CEO Sundar Pichai announced the updates in a blog post, saying that Google is committed to “keeping your information safe, treating it responsibly, and putting you in control.” The company rang the changes last year by automatically deleting data like browsing history or location after three or 18 months, depending on which option you choose. However, you had to activate it in settings manually, and Google would still store your data indefinitely if you didn’t.

But now, the auto-delete feature is on by default, which means the tech giant will delete certain data after 18 months even if you don’t take any action. Google’s location history will also be disabled by default. When you enable it, the company will proceed to delete the data after a year and a half automatically. These default privacy features only apply to new accounts, though, as old users still have to activate and choose the data deletion period from settings. But Google will display the option on YouTube and search pages to encourage users to at least examine these settings, which you can access through the activity controls page.

“We continue to challenge ourselves to do more with less, and today we’re changing our data retention practices to make auto-delete the default for our core activity settings,” said Pichai.

Not all data is subject to the default 18-month timeframe. Other information and files like Gmail, photos, and Google drive require long-term storage, while YouTube history auto-deletion is set to a default 36 months.

The new default attributes bring convenience and privacy to users, who will still benefit from recommendations based on their browsing history. But at least they’ll now know that their data won’t be stored indefinitely. And while you can reduce storage duration from 18 to three months, Google still does not offer a more privacy-friendly timescale, like a weekly or monthly basis.

Other Privacy Features

The company is also making it easier to “go incognito.” Users can simply long-press on their profile picture to open a new incognito tab. The feature is available on iOS and will launch on other platforms in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, Pichai announced that Password Checkup, which checks if Google Account passwords have been compromised, will become “a core part of Security Checkup.” The latter is “an easy, one-stop shop for securing your Google Account.”

Despite rolling out new privacy changes, Google can still monitor and collect a huge chunk of your data, even in incognito mode. Therefore, if you wish to maximize your online privacy, use a VPN service. TheVPN.Guru offers plenty of VPN how-to guides and reviews to help you choose the provider that suits you best.