Blog Post
Stop Google from Tracking You and Delete Your Personal Data
May 29, 2018
You probably know that websites keep track of how you're using them, and even the sites that don't require you to sign up with an account can keep a track of your preferences and behaviour using cookies. But the biggest networks, like Google, and Facebook, keep tracking you even when you're not signed in and follow you around the Internet to serve you with "relevant" advertising and content. And since most of us will have signed up for at least one of Google's many popular services, that's the company that has the most information. Not everyone is comfortable with the idea of one company knowing so much about them. If you're one of these people, read on to find out how to minimise Google's tracking online.
Disable Tracking
If you've noticed the same ads following you no matter which website you visit, it may be because Google is tracking you. Thankfully, Google makes it very easy to disable tracking. Go through these steps to protect your privacy.
If you've noticed the same ads following you no matter which website you visit, it may be because Google is tracking you. Thankfully, Google makes it very easy to disable tracking. Go through these steps to protect your privacy.
1) Google has a page for advertisement settings. Visit it and sign in. https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated
2) Here you will see two columns, one for advertisements you'll see on Google's websites and one for the advertisements you'll be shown on the Web. Based on your data, Google will have estimated your gender, age, languages you speak and your interests. Scroll down to Opt-out settings and click Opt-out in both columns. You'll notice that the data above will be replaced by N/A.
3) Google's advertising cookie is still tracking you. To remove it, head to the Advertising cookie opt-out page and click Download the cookie opt-out plugin. This plugin is available for Chrome, Internet Explorer and Firefox. After downloading this plugin, Google will stop tracking your browsing activity.
2) Here you will see two columns, one for advertisements you'll see on Google's websites and one for the advertisements you'll be shown on the Web. Based on your data, Google will have estimated your gender, age, languages you speak and your interests. Scroll down to Opt-out settings and click Opt-out in both columns. You'll notice that the data above will be replaced by N/A.
3) Google's advertising cookie is still tracking you. To remove it, head to the Advertising cookie opt-out page and click Download the cookie opt-out plugin. This plugin is available for Chrome, Internet Explorer and Firefox. After downloading this plugin, Google will stop tracking your browsing activity.
Disable Search History
While that stops the direct tracking, Google is still gathering a lot of information about your behaviour. Whether you're using Gmail, or YouTube or Google itself to search for things, you're giving the company a clear trail of browsing data. The good news is that you can stop it from doing so easily. This is how:
1) Head to Google's account history page and sign in. https://myaccount.google.com/activitycontrols
2) You will see four large cards (Things that you search for, Places you've been, Your YouTube searches, and Things that you've watched on YouTube). Each one of these will have a Pause button near the bottom-right and a Manage Activity link on the bottom-left.
While that stops the direct tracking, Google is still gathering a lot of information about your behaviour. Whether you're using Gmail, or YouTube or Google itself to search for things, you're giving the company a clear trail of browsing data. The good news is that you can stop it from doing so easily. This is how:
1) Head to Google's account history page and sign in. https://myaccount.google.com/activitycontrols
2) You will see four large cards (Things that you search for, Places you've been, Your YouTube searches, and Things that you've watched on YouTube). Each one of these will have a Pause button near the bottom-right and a Manage Activity link on the bottom-left.
3) Click Pause on all four tiles. This will stop Google from recording your personal data.
4) To remove the data that Google has already recorded, for each tile, click the Manage Activity link, then select the items, and click on "Delete Activity by" to delete by date.
For Android, iOS Users
If a smartphone or tablet is your preferred device for browsing the Web, you can take a quick peek in its settings to disable tracking. On Android, head to Settings > Accounts & Sync > Google > Ads (on some devices, Google may appear in the Settings app itself). Now make sure that there is a check-mark next to Opt out of interest-based ads. On iOS, go to Settings > Privacy > Advertising and turn on Limit Ad Tracking. This will stop websites that serve advertisements from tracking your browsing activity.
4) To remove the data that Google has already recorded, for each tile, click the Manage Activity link, then select the items, and click on "Delete Activity by" to delete by date.
For Android, iOS Users
If a smartphone or tablet is your preferred device for browsing the Web, you can take a quick peek in its settings to disable tracking. On Android, head to Settings > Accounts & Sync > Google > Ads (on some devices, Google may appear in the Settings app itself). Now make sure that there is a check-mark next to Opt out of interest-based ads. On iOS, go to Settings > Privacy > Advertising and turn on Limit Ad Tracking. This will stop websites that serve advertisements from tracking your browsing activity.
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