Technology

Google announces new privacy controls for users

Written by Tehreem Farooqi ·  1 min read >

Google is rolling out new privacy features like auto-delete, password security and checkup, and incognito mode as promised in the I/O event in May this year. These features now available in desktop and mobile apps put the user in control of their search and browsing history storage and collection for analysis by Google itself. 

After its huge success on Google and later on youtube, the incognito mode is finally rolling out to Maps. By turning the incognito mode on, Maps will not save your search history or provide you location-based services. You can access this feature from the profile menu in the Maps app. While this feature is rolling out to Android devices, for now, Google promises it will be coming soon to iOS.

The next feature is auto-delete which has been extended to YouTube this time. You can set your account search and view history delete time from 3 months to 18 months just like Location History and Web & App Activity. Access the My Activity menu inside the app for this feature. You can also ask the Assistant to delete your voice history of any specified time and it will be done without any more effort from you. 

Alongside all these, Google has made some major additions to password security and checkup settings. By accessing the Password Manager in your Chrome settings, you can see how Google evaluates the passwords of all accounts synced with that particular account. It shows any week, compromised or reused passwords so you can make your accounts more secure.

These security settings are not only helpful for protecting you from cyber attacks but also stop Google from saving your data for analysis. Let us know your thoughts about these features and any others that you look forward to in the comments below.

Source: Google

Written by Tehreem Farooqi
Software Engineering student with expertise in blogging, SEO and graphic designing with a demonstrated history of working in online media publishing and social media management related to technology. Profile