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As you may or may not already know, Google's new irreversible privacy settings kick in on March 1st. This means that anything you've ever searched while logged into Google services (Gmail, YouTube, Android, etc.) will be used by the company for some good ol' fashioned ad targeting. Some of you may think that clearing the history on your browser is like wiping a slate clean, however that's not the case. Google still logs any and all activities you do while on the web.

Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco that advocates for online privacy, says: "Search data can reveal particularly sensitive information about you, including facts about your location, interests, age, sexual orientation, religion, health concerns, and more." This may or may not frighten you - but there is still time to clear your history. Read on to find some easy step-by-step instructions on how to clear your Google data.

 

1. Go to the google homepage and sign into your account.

2. Click the dropdown menu next to your name in the upper-right hand corner of your screen.

3. Click accounts settings

4. Find the "Services section"

5. Under "Services" there is a sub-section that reads "View, enable, disable web history." Click the link next to it that reads: "Go to Web History."

6. Click on "Remove all Web History".

 

"When you click on "Remove all Web History," a message appears that says " Web History is Paused." What this means is that while Google will continue gathering and storing information about your web history it will make all data anonymous, that is, Google will not associate your Web History information with your online accounts and will therefore be unable to send you customized search results."

 

For more info, check out the links below.

 

How to Remove Your Google Browsing History Before New Policy Takes Effect

How to Remove Your YouTube Viewing and Search History Before Google's New Privacy Policy Takes Effect