Privacy improvements are coming to Google Search services

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Google is in the process of rolling out “new privacy settings for Search services” according to an email sent out to users.

The changes affect a number of products and services from Google, there are new tools as well as a reorganization of existing options to make them easier to find and use. The new arrangement should make more sense and give users easier access to the tools needed to stay in control of privacy.

Saying that the likes of Search, Maps, Shopping, Hotels, Flights, Translate, and News will be impacted, Google’s email explains that it is “updating our settings to give you even more control over saved history and personalized recommendations across Google Search services and Google Play”.

Settings are moving around, as the company goes on to detail in the correspondence:

Previously, saving history and personalization were managed by Web & App Activity. Going forward, you can better tailor your Search services experience using your new Search Services History and Personalized Recommendations settings. These settings let you revisit your past searches and decide if you want your experience to be personalized.

Google is also using the email to draw attention to the fact that it is possible to stop sharing media from your interactions with the likes of Google Lens from being saved in your activity history. Google would prefer that users did not do this, and says that the benefit of keeping things as they are is that it makes it possible to revisit previous searches should the need arise.

However, Google also provides information about what may happen with saved media, saying:

Saved media includes your images, files, audio and video from your interactions with Search services to help improve your experience. For example, this lets you revisit your past visual searches with Lens or continue a Search Live conversation about a song you heard.

To support these types of interactive product experiences, Google will now save your media to your Search Services History, applying robust privacy and security protections.

Like your Search Services History, your saved media is also used to develop and improve Google services and technologies, including AI models and safety measures.

As well as being possible to turn off the saving of activity completely, there is also the option of deleting individual items that have already been saved.