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  • Here's how to delete your Google Web search History

Here's how to delete your Google Web search History

Posted: , by Victor H.

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Here's how to delete your Google Web search History
By now, most of you already know that Google is planning huge changes in its privacy policy and those changes will come into force March 1st. The search behemoth will unify all of your searches across various services like the search engine itself, YouTube and Google Plus and use them in concert in order to serve you more relevant ads. Previously, all of those searches were treated separately, so if someone broke into your Gmail account, the cracker wouldn’t have been able to see your searches on YouTube.

UPDATE: Today's the last day before Google's new policy kicks in, so last chance for those who want to delete their history.

The new privacy policy exposes you to potentially a bigger risk as it basically draws a very well rounded picture for those of you entrenched in the Google ecosystem of apps. Also, Google reserves the right to give away this information to law enforcement agencies.

So if you want to feel a bit safer come March 1st, you can go on and delete and disable your complete Web History now. Now what this will do is not protect you 100%, but it does guarantee that Google won’t keep your search records indefinitely (as it does with enabled Web History), but rather it will anonymize them after 18 months. It will also prevent the search company from using your search data in certain ways.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation which is a body protecting your rights has posted a guide to deleting that Web History, and you may want to listen to their suggestion. Here’s how to do it in 4 easy steps:


1. Sign into your Google account.
Here's how to delete your Google Web search History


2. Go to https://www.google.com/history
Here's how to delete your Google Web search History


3. Click/tap “remove all Web History.”
Here's how to delete your Google Web search History


4. Click/tap “OK.”
Here's how to delete your Google Web search History


Note that you’d need to do that separately for each Google account you have (if you have more than one).


Thumbnail image courtesy of Ben Cook. 

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1. kanagadeepan posted on 24 Feb 2012, 03:43

My Web-History is already OFF... Am I safe fully or what wrt my earlier searches???

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2. Victor.H posted on 24 Feb 2012, 03:57 2

You should be safe to the extent that Google won't keep your records indefinitely as I mentioned in the article.

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3. tward291 posted on 24 Feb 2012, 11:37 1 1

idk if its the fact that i was in the marines were privacy is a negative or what but why do you people care so much if goole knows you like to watch big asian tits or watch booty videos on youtube

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4. beatsandmelody posted on 24 Feb 2012, 12:31 1

Well, military and civilian life are a little different. But I still lol'ed at your comment.

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6. Scott_H posted on 29 Feb 2012, 10:04

Technically they don't even know YOU did it, they just have anonymous cookie that says "send ads that would appeal to asian tit-viewers" so you'll see say more adds from Trojan.

Seriously, if people want to get upset go complain about Target, or any other retailer that keeps your address, name, phone number, and purchasing record for data-mining - that's actual personal information that is tracked.

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5. cellphonator posted on 29 Feb 2012, 09:50

Question: if you're not afraid of someone looking into your search, because you have nothing to hide, is there anything positive in this new privacy policy? Or we just have to define it as a negative thing and curse Google?

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7. Scott_H posted on 29 Feb 2012, 10:41

There's a lot positive for consumers - your custom spell-check dictionary becomes available on all Google products, contacts you add on one product will be available to you elsewhere, your auto-fill options will propagate to other products, etc.

But if you are uncomfortable then Victor's article shows you how to opt out of much of it.

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8. cellphonator posted on 29 Feb 2012, 10:55

Thanks.

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9. GeckoHA559 posted on 29 Feb 2012, 12:36

All in the name of making money. The big two that is Apple and Google just want to make money. They innovate to make money first then its to benefit consumers, they didn't used to be like that before. Thats why I always look forward to emerging small companies in the Industry in hope they dont come to a point where its all about money.

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