The automatic deletion feature of Google will finally allow you to delete your location and your search data.

Privacy issues are a major problem on many online platforms, with companies like Facebook and Twitter provoking controversy over the use of customer data. Google has long been concerned about the security of user information, particularly following an Associated Press survey in 2018 that revealed Google's services on iOS and Android devices backed up the location data itself. after deactivating the mode. For the obvious purpose of proving that society takes privacy more seriously, Google announced on May 1 that it offered users the ability to automatically delete location or web history data. that they do not want the search engine giant to use.

"Whether you're looking for the latest news or the fastest driving route, our goal is to make our products useful for everyone," begins Google's official blog on the ad. "And when you turn on settings such as location history or web activity and apps, the data can make Google products more useful to you, like recommending a restaurant that you might like or you help you get back to where you left off. "

While it is certainly true that this may be useful, many users who wish to share their location data have long feared that their information will be freely disclosed to companies that will use it for purposes beyond their knowledge or control. . Fortunately, Google hears these concerns loud and clear. "We are working to keep your data private and secure, and your feedback has taught us that we need to provide you with easier ways to manage or delete them," the blog says.

So now Google has launched the automatic deletion feature, to use for location history and web and application activity data. Although the possibility of disabling this information already exists, the survey conducted by the PA in 2018 showed that apparently this was not enough to prevent the definitive deletion of the data. With the automatic deletion option, you can now choose a time limit during which you want the data to be retained (between 3 and 18 months), and older than older data will be automatically deleted. your account regularly. . You also have the power to access these controls to manually delete all or part of your historical information, if you prefer.

This new feature obviously aims to reduce headaches related to online privacy because it can be hard to remember to clear your history regularly. Even if you are not generally worried about keeping information online, the automatic removal feature will still be useful. If you're looking for a private medical problem or an embarrassing question on Google, for example, you probably do not want anyone to have access to your information online. And on a more serious note, Google uses your location data to draw a timeline that records your daily trips. This is how Google learns where "home" is or what type of routine you usually follow. If this information fell into the wrong hands, strangers could eventually determine your position at any time. Having Google automatically delete this information every few months is absolutely a good call.

Of course, it is only a small step forward in the fight to make privacy easier, easier to understand and more widely used in the sites and applications we use daily. Nevertheless, taking the initiative with this feature, Google shows that the company is determined to improve after its past transgressions, and that it should give some peace of mind to users anxious to store their data and allow that such data be recorded first. in law.