New Google users will no longer have their data stored for a long period of time. This is after the tech giant announced that it will start deleting location records, web and app activity as well as voice recordings after every 18 months.
New Google accounts will have the option to delete the data by default, while the settings will remain the same for older Google users.
Last year, the company introduced the option for users to delete their web search data, searches through Google virtual assistant and location history data. At the time, users were given the option to erase data after three months or eighteen months.
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Google boasts about one billion monthly users for its seven products. The company revealed that it did not want to put a default setting to erase data for older users as they did not want them upset with unexpected changes.
This is a welcome move for the tech giant following complaints from many users over Google’s storage of personal data. The company argues that the data collected is important to personalize products and make it more useful. However, users believe the data collected is mainly used for targeted advertising.
Older Google users can change the settings to erase data in their settings and set their preferred time. The settings are accessible on all Google products including YouTube and Google Search.
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