Google comes with option to automatically delete data after three months

Google comes with an option, where users can choose to have data that the search giant keeps automatically deleted after three or eighteen months. The data is then removed from the account.

In the options for tracking ‘location history’ and ‘web and app activity’, when the feature is active, Google will display a window where users can choose to keep the data until they manually delete it, three months or 18 months.

After activating the feature, Google will automatically delete the data after the specified period of three or eighteen months, the company says. That happens all the time. It is unclear whether the data only disappears from the user’s account or whether Google no longer stores it on its own servers.

Google uses the data to personalize services and to make advertisements more targeted. All of Google’s advertising products rely on the data the company collects about users, and the company relies on advertising for much of its revenue. Turning on web and app activity tracking is necessary, among other things, for the installation of Google Home speakers and the search for already visited or favorite places in Google Maps.

Update, 7:37 PM: Google says that auto-delete has the same retention policy as other deletions. Tools that measure popularity like Google Trends or YouTube viewcounters keep the anonymized count. “We immediately begin the process of removing data from our systems. It can no longer be used to personalize your Google experience, such as personalizing ads.”