Data Privacy Day: Seven Ways We Protect Your Privacy
Keeping you safe online is a top priority at Google, especially for the thousands of Googlers who work on privacy and security around the world. Today on Data Privacy Day, we’re sharing some of the many ways we keep you safe online and across our products—from built-in protections to easy tools that keep you in control of your privacy.
1. Keep your passwords safe
Password Manager in your Google Account helps you remember and securely store strong passwords for all your online accounts. With Password Checkup, one click will tell you if any of your passwords are weak—whether you’ve reused them across multiple sites, or if we’ve discovered they’ve been compromised in a third-party data breach—and we’ll give you the link to change them.
2. Let Google automatically delete your data
With auto-delete for Location History, Web & App Activity and YouTube History, you can choose to have Google automatically and continuously delete your activity and location history after 3 or 18 months. You can also control what data is saved in your account with easy on/off controls in your Google Account, and even delete your data by date, product and topic.
3. Use your favorite Google apps in Incognito mode
Incognito mode has been one of our most popular privacy controls since it launched with Chrome in 2008, and last year we added it to YouTube and Google Maps. Tap from your profile picture to easily turn it on or off. When you turn on Incognito mode in Maps, your activity—like the places you search or get directions to—won’t be saved to your Google Account. When you turn off Incognito mode, you’ll return to a personalized Google Maps experience with restaurant recommendations, information about your commute, and other features tailored to you.
4. Try hands-free privacy controls with the Google Assistant
You can also manage your privacy settings with help from the Assistant. Just say, “Hey Google, delete everything I said to you last week” to delete Assistant activity from your Google Account, or “Hey Google, that wasn’t for you,” to tell the Assistant to forget what it heard if the Assistant responds to something that wasn’t actually a question or request. And to learn how Google keeps your data private and secure, just ask, “Hey Google, how do you keep my data safe?”
5. Browse the web safely with Chrome
Safe Browsing in Chrome automatically protects you from malicious ads and warns you before you visit dangerous sites or download suspicious files. If you use Chrome, your password protections are automatically built-in. We’ll warn you if your username and password have been compromised in a known breach as you log into websites.
6. Check in on your privacy settings across your apps and devices
Data Privacy Day is a great time to check in on your privacy and security settings. Take a Privacy Checkup and we’ll walk you through key privacy settings step-by-step. You can do things like choose what data—such as your location and search history—gets saved to your Google Account or control what ads you see. When you’re finished, head over to Security Checkup for personalized recommendations to help protect your data and devices, like managing which third-party apps have access to your account data.
7. Control what ads you see from Google
We do not sell your personal information to anyone and give you transparency, choice and control over how your information is used. If you’re curious about why you’re seeing an ad, you can click on Why this ad for more information. If you no longer find a specific ad relevant, you can choose to block that ad by using the Mute this ad control. And you can always control the kinds of ads you see, or turn off ads personalization any time in your Ad Settings.
No matter how you use our products, it’s our responsibility to keep your data private and secure. That’s why we work every day to build the best privacy experiences and strongest protections, and we’ll continue our ongoing efforts to make privacy and security simpler for you.
Source: Official Google Webmasters Blog
I try to have Google keep all my data. It seems to be much more reliable when it comes down to me looking for something I did in the past. It’s always nice to have that history, and the passwords saved, and be able to reference a certain day if you need to.
Billy, it’s great to hear that you find Google’s data storage and privacy features helpful! It’s important to have control over your data and feel secure online. However, it’s always a good idea to regularly check your privacy settings and make sure you’re comfortable with how your data is being used. Remember, your privacy and security are always a top priority at Google.
We should do a privacy check-up more often. It ensures a more personalized experience with google across apps like maps & youtube.
Absolutely, Anna! Regular privacy check-ups are essential for staying in control of your online privacy and keeping your personal data safe. It’s great to see that Google offers easy-to-use tools for users to manage their privacy settings and preferences across different apps and devices. By taking advantage of these tools and regularly reviewing your privacy settings, you can help protect your online identity and enjoy a more personalized experience with Google’s products.
The new hands-free privacy controls with Google Assistant are just amazing. It lets me control privacy settings just over my voice command.
Yes, Aaron, the hands-free privacy controls with Google Assistant are a convenient way to manage your privacy settings without having to navigate through menus and settings. It’s great to see that Google is continuing to improve their privacy and security features across their products.
Managing privacy with hands-free is a bit new to me. Its is like teaching a baby.
These days google understands English language only or a bit of other languages too!
Who knows, may be someday it will learn the Amazonian languages also!
Natalia, it is amazing how technology has advanced and made it possible to manage privacy settings with voice commands. Currently, the Google Assistant understands many languages, including English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, Hindi, and more. It’s possible that in the future, it may learn to understand even more languages, including Amazonian languages. Technology continues to evolve and improve, making it easier for people to manage their online privacy and security.
For me password manager is a savior hence I don’t have to recall my passwords from my memory! It even updates me on the password strength and alerts me on any third-party data breach.
That’s great to hear, Carol! Password managers are indeed a convenient and secure way to manage your passwords. It’s good to see that you are taking advantage of the built-in protections and easy tools that Google offers to keep you safe online. Remember to also regularly check and update your privacy and security settings across your apps and devices to ensure the highest level of protection.
Turning on the automatic delete option is the best way to declutter and move on.
I have been using this feature lately.
Good read!
Thank you for your feedback, Scott! It’s great to hear that you found the article informative, and that you have been using the auto-delete feature to manage your data. It’s important to take control of our online privacy and security, and Google offers many tools and features to help us do so.
Personalizing Ad settings in google is a great way to control the Ads we see. It can be personalized at any time across the platforms we want to. Alternatively, we can turn off personalization and revert to generalized settings based on location and site visits.
Gary, that’s correct! Google provides users with the option to control what ads they see through personalized ad settings. Users can choose to turn off ad personalization or customize their ad preferences based on their interests and demographics. This way, users have more control over the type of ads they are exposed to while browsing the web. It’s important to note that turning off ad personalization doesn’t mean you won’t see any ads at all, but rather the ads will be less targeted and based on your location and site visits.
Turning on the incognito mode works only on the chrome browser. It is still exposed to ISP & site data when logged in. Using a VPN is a safer option when it comes to privacy in my opinion.
You raise a valid point that Incognito mode only works within the Chrome browser, and it doesn’t completely protect your privacy as your ISP and sites can still track your data when you’re logged in. Using a VPN can indeed be a helpful additional layer of protection for your online privacy, as it can hide your IP address and encrypt your internet traffic. It’s always a good idea to take multiple steps to protect your online privacy, and using a VPN can be one of those steps. However, it’s important to note that not all VPNs are created equal, and it’s essential to choose a reputable VPN provider that doesn’t log your activity or sell your data.
GDPR & CGPA gave a strong foundation to the privacy policy update. Many of the world’s emerging economies are developing and implementing laws to protect personal information and impose obligations on parties that collect, hold, and use such information. These laws typically share common themes and principles that collectively embody good data protection practice.
You’re absolutely right, Ryan! GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) and CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act) have been instrumental in shaping privacy policies and practices globally. These regulations have set a strong foundation for data protection and privacy, and many countries around the world have followed suit by implementing their own privacy laws. These laws aim to protect individuals’ personal information and hold companies accountable for collecting, storing, and using that information responsibly. Common themes and principles, such as transparency, choice, and control over personal data, have emerged from these regulations and are now considered best practices in data protection.
Turning on the incognito mode is good way to distract unwanted ads and internet traffic!
It is like tastings the forbidden fruits without attracting them 😉
While using Incognito mode can help prevent unwanted ads and internet traffic from being linked to your Google Account, it’s important to note that it does not make you completely anonymous or invisible online. It simply means that your activity in that specific browsing session will not be saved to your account or browsing history. Additionally, websites may still be able to track your activity through cookies or other means. It’s always a good idea to be aware of your online privacy settings and take steps to protect your personal information.
I am so upset now that all this data privacy stuff is happening. I had my clients Google Ads bringing in 10 calls per day with remarketing ads. Not that easy anymore due to all these data privacy issues.
Nigel, I understand that changes in data privacy policies can be frustrating, especially when they affect the success of your advertising campaigns. However, it’s important to remember that these policies are put in place to protect the privacy and security of individuals’ personal information. By implementing strong privacy protections and giving users more control over their data, companies like Google are working to build trust with their users and ensure that their data is handled responsibly. While it may require some adjustments to your advertising strategy, ultimately these changes can benefit both users and businesses in the long run.
I didn’t know until now that google has dedicated a day on data privacy.
Great article!
Yes, Data Privacy Day is an annual international event held on January 28th to raise awareness and promote data privacy and protection. It’s good to see that companies like Google are taking data privacy seriously and providing users with tools and features to keep their personal information safe online. Thank you for your feedback, Daniel!
Turning on the automatically delete option is the best way to declutter and move on.
I have been using this feature lately.
Good read! Thanks Taylor!
You’re welcome, Stan! I’m glad you found the article informative and helpful. Enabling the auto-delete option is definitely a great way to keep your data organized and protect your privacy. It’s important to regularly review and manage your privacy settings to ensure that you’re comfortable with the level of data that’s being collected and stored about you. If you have any other questions or concerns, feel free to ask!
For me password manager is a savior!
I think i need to use the password checkup option.
Thanks Taylor!
Rach, it’s great to hear that the password manager has been helpful for you. The password checkup feature is definitely worth using, as it can help identify any weak or compromised passwords and provide suggestions for stronger ones. Keeping your passwords secure is an important step in maintaining your online privacy and security, so I’m glad to hear you’re taking steps to do so. If you have any other questions or concerns, feel free to ask!