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Google reveals major privacy shake-up, will auto-delete user data
According to a new blog post, Google will now automatically delete users’ search information, location data and voice commands after 18 months has elapsed since capture.
YouTube activity, meanwhile, will be kept on file for 36 months by default, which Google says will ensure viewers are served the most relevant content.
[...] The company’s auto-delete controls have been in place since last year, but will now be turned on by default for new users. Existing Google Account holders, though, will need to manually activate the auto-delete function from with the Activity Controls panel.
[...] The firm also took the opportunity to unveil a host of smaller changes designed to make it easier for users to access privacy controls and improve account security.
[...] Within the coming weeks, Google’s Password Checkup tool will also be integrated into the Security Checkup service, which notifies users of chinks in their security armor. The addition will allow account holders to check whether any of their login credentials have been compromised and safeguard against potential credential-stuffing attacks.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by looorg on Thursday June 25 2020, @10:13PM (3 children)
There is, probably, a large chunk of this. With large amounts of data there is always a point when getting more data doesn't actually really add much value or information, there is already clear trends and patterns and adding more rarely change that. So at least now you know that in less then three months of usage Google can profile you good enough that they don't need more information. After that they have you nailed down and then new data is just checked to see if it still fits the patterns.
They might delete the datapoints, nothing in there about not keeping an extensive summary, history file of things or just creating a profile or label and stick that on you. With 3, or 18, months of data they have probably already built a fairly solid profile and model of you and put you into one of their niches or labels and that is good enough for them and their advertisers.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 26 2020, @01:33AM (1 child)
Another thing that most companies realize is *old* data is a liability.
Let say you have a jr employee and they say something in email. Then spin 10 years on they are head of a division. Then someone comes along and subpoenas everything you know about that employee. Suddenly something that employee said 10 years ago becomes relevant. It can and will be used out of context.
Cancel culture depends on it. On the flip side those who want the power to spit off whatever they feel like love the idea that their old ideas are never heard from again and accountability is for others. They can float with the crowd and look amazing doing it.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 26 2020, @01:50AM
I would say more than liability, old data is not so useful for new advertising purposes, and takes up space on their servers.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 26 2020, @06:31AM
This is so true, consumer memory is short, https://www.msi.org/reports/memory-factors-in-advertising/ [msi.org]this is only one of many studies where marketing is quickly forgotten for distractions or wandering eyeballs.
In some ways 3 or 18 months i overkill, so is probably them seeing less value in maintaining the storage costs. (TLAs will have harvested what they wanted well inside the window also).