Friday, February 24, 2012

How to Opt Out of Google's Unification of Your Web History

On March 1, Google will unite its records of your Web searches and site visits with data they gather from everything else you do on Google (like, youTube).


If you want to opt out, Google makes it super easy.

Through Boing Boing, I found further explanation of the changes and the 4 easy steps--illustrated with screencaps---at Electronic Frontier Foundation's
"how to remove your google search history before google's new privacy policy takes effect"

Without the pix, here are the steps:

1. Sign into your Google account (like, just sign into your gmail).

2. Then, go to https://www.google.com/history

3. There, click "remove all Web History."

4. Click "ok."

This removes your history and also pauses further collection (until you opt in again).
[by Toothpaste For Dinner]

3 comments:

deanna said...

Thank you! Will go put it into effect now.

bink said...

This only seems to let me opt out of searching I've done while signed into my google accounts. What I'm wondering is what about all the general web searching I do when I'm not even signed into any email account? I know they don't need my email to be on to track me. And then there's the google searching I do while my yahoo or FB accounts are open... I can't find a way to get at any of that history. Any ideas, anyone?

Fresca said...

BINK: I'll ask around... someone will know. (Momo?)