How To Delete Google Browsing History

Google’s new privacy policy goes into effect on March 1st.

The new policy will scrap sixty or so different privacy policies in favor of just one – a combined strategy that puts the information Google’s platforms collect about you in a single place. This will include Gmail, Google Plus, YouTube, Google search, and more.

The new approach will give Google more flexibility to sync more of their products and better customize your search results. You’ll also see more ads targeted to your preferences. Google insists they will not be selling your information to advertisers.

The new policy has raised some eyebrows because there is no opt-out option. The only way to get around the policy is to close your Google account altogether.

Starting Thursday, Google will lock in data its already collected about you including search queries, sites visited, your age, gender and location. Before the policy takes effect, you have the option of deleting your web history.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit organization that advocates for online privacy, says erasing your search history is a good idea. Here are step-by-step instructions to do so:

1. Go to the Google homepage and sign into your account. 2. Click “accounts settings” in the dropdown menu next to your name in the upper right-hand corner. 3. Find the “Services” section and click “Go to Web History.” 4. Click on “Remove all Web History” Once you do that, Google will continue gathering and storing your information but will make all data anonymous. This means that Google will not associate your searches, Gmail, and YouTube accounts with your profile and will not be able to give you customized search results or advertisements.