Google Will Allow Users To Auto-Delete Their Data And Location History

In an effort to provide a greater level of privacy, Google is going to offer its users greater control over their search history.

Google will soon be rolling out a new auto-delete feature to help users clear out their older data and location history. The update will let users scrub that data after three or 18 months, preventing long streaks of manually wiping the data individually. Users will simply have to choose if they want to stick with manual, scrub after three months or scrub after 18 months.

While Google hasn’t nailed down a set date for its release, it has said it will be releasing the scrub update in the “coming weeks.”

Google also made it clear that this is just the first change coming to data management and deletion, though there’s no clear idea as to what other additions could entail.

This update represents a move to help rebuild trust among Google’s users regarding its handling of personal privacy. Google is just one of many tech companies that have found itself in hot water over the handling of people’s information and privacy in recent years. Most recently, the company received backlash after customers learned that Google didn’t disclose a microphone was placed in Nest devices.

In the aftermath, Google has worked diligently to improve privacy among users. On top of the data scrubbing, it released TensorFlow in March, an open-source tool that keeps personal data anonymous.