Google Will Store More of Your Search Data to Train Its AI, but You Can Opt Out of This Feature.
Google is updating its privacy settings around how some of its apps collect, store, and use your search data, including to train AI models, so you should review what information is stored and opt out of what you don’t want Google to store.
How Google stores your search data
Google already allows users to customize which search data is retained and for how long through the Web & App Activity settings, with the option to automatically delete data after specified periods of time or disable data collection entirely. In a recent email to users, Google announced two new settings, titled “Search Activity” and “Personalized Recommendations,” for search queries in Search, Maps, Shopping, Flights, Hotels, Translate, and News, which will be separate from the Web & App Activity settings.
When enabled, Search History will include all media you’ve downloaded, such as images found with Google Lens, audio recordings rendered with Translator, voice searches, and any other files used in your interactions. Personalized recommendations, in turn, will use data from Search History, as well as profile information and other activity data from Google apps, to personalize search results. This includes AI responses and information related to your location.
If you’ve already limited Google’s access to your data in the Website & App Activity section, these settings will migrate to the Search Engine Activity and Personalized Recommendations sections as new options become available over the next few months. Alternatively, you can manage your search engine history and turn personalized recommendations on or off in your Google Account under Data & Privacy > Personalization Settings . Note that if you don’t see these options yet, your privacy settings are still controlled by the Website & App Activity section.
You can disable saving media files in search engine history.
Disabling Google’s data collection entirely is the most radical way to protect your privacy, but it limits your use of Google services, including search. A compromise option is to prevent your media from being saved via your search history, while still allowing Google to use other data to shape search results and recommendations. Under “My Google Activity,” select “Search History” and check or uncheck the box next to “Save Media.” Note that this does not delete previously saved media—for that, you need to select “View and Delete Saved History.” (Again, if you don’t see these options in your account, this setting is not yet available to you.)