Google’s new unified privacy policy starts today. This means all data Google has collected on you prior to today, as well as data it collects on you in the future, can be used to target you for ads, etc.
If you’d like to prevent Google from combining your Web History data with the data it has about you on its other products, you should take action IMMEDIATELY. You will need to delete your YouTube Viewing and Search History, which can reveal particularly sensitive information about you, including your location, interests, age, sexual orientation, religion, and health concerns. You will also need to delete your Google Web History. Here’s how:
DELETING WEB HISTORY –
1. Sign into your Google account.
2. Go to https://www.google.com/history
3. Click “remove all Web History.”
4. Click “OK.”
Removing your Web History pauses it, which means it will remain off until you enable it again. But please note that disabling Web History in your Google account will not prevent Google from gathering and storing this information and using it for internal purposes. Nor will it prevent them from providing information about you to law enforcement.
With Web History enabled, Google will keep these records indefinitely. But with it disabled, they will be partially anonymous after 18 months, and certain uses, including sending you customized search results, will be prevented.
If you have more than 1 Google account, you will have to follow the above steps for each account.
DELETING YOUTUBE HISTORY –
1. Log in to your Google account.
2. Go to https://www.youtube.com
3. Click on your icon.
4. Click “Video Manager”
5. Click “History”
6. Click “Clear all viewing history.”
7. Click “Pause viewing history.”
8. Click “Search History.”
9. Click “Clear all search history.”
10. Click “Pause search history.”
Once again, if you have multiple YouTube accounts, you will need to complete these steps for each account.
This policy will begin TODAY, so if you want to make changes you must do this IMMEDIATELY!
