How to stop Google from tracking you on the web

(Pocket-lint) - Google is seemingly precise sneaky.

If you crook disconnected Google’s Location History enactment (see how, from here), you astir apt presume the places you spell are nary longer stored, oregon that Google is nary longer tracking your movements. Wrong. Google inactive collects determination information connected a minutely basis, retaining wherever you unrecorded and wherever you sojourn astatine each times, according to an investigative study from the Associated Press. But there's a workaround.

While the AP recovered that Google tin inactive way you done web services, specified arsenic Google Maps advertisement browser searches, determination is simply a mode to get Google to - erstwhile and for each - halt tracking you: by going done settings and turning disconnected “Web and App Activity”. You see, by simply turning disconnected Location History, you’re lone stopping Google from adding your movements to its ocular Timeline diagnostic (more connected that here).

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What is Web and App Activity?

With Web and App Activity turned on, Google saves your time-stamped determination data, though you tin manually delete each information constituent astatine myactivity.google.com. You tin besides delete respective entries by day oregon web service. Google is wide astir this successful its notices to users, but it's just to presume that astir radical don't realise there's besides thing called “Web and App Activity” that collects their determination data.

Google's Support page explained that, erstwhile Web and App Activity is turned on, your searches and enactment from Google services are saved to your Google Account truthful that you tin get "better hunt results and suggestions". But, if you toggle the enactment disconnected (it is enabled by default), Google tin nary longer store wherever you’ve been from Maps information and browser searches that extract your GPS coordinates.

How to halt Google from tracking you connected the web

Turn Web and App Activity connected oregon off

1. On your computer, sojourn the Activity controls page.
2. You whitethorn beryllium asked to motion successful to your Google Account.
3. Turn Web and App Activity connected oregon off.

Note: Google said immoderate browsers and devices whitethorn person much settings that "affect however this enactment is saved".

For much details astir however to delete past activities and information that Google has collected, spot Google's Support leafage here.

Writing by Maggie Tillman. Originally published connected 13 August 2018.