How to prevent Google from tracking you

[The Biff Lebowski]

How to remove your Google Web Data History


Do you know if Google is tracking your Web activity? If you have a Google account (for, say, Gmail) and have not specifically located and paused the Web History setting, then the search giant is keeping track of your searches and the sites you visited. This data has been separated from other Google products, but on March 1 it will be shared across all of the Google products you use when Google's new privacy policy goes into effect.

If you'd like to prevent Google from combining this potentially sensitive data with the information it has collected from your YouTube, Google+, and other Google accounts, you can remove your Web History and stop it from being recorded moving forward.


After signing into your Google account, type www.google.com/history into your browser. (Alternatively, you can choose Account Settings from the pull-down menu in the upper-right corner of a Google product such as Gmail, Google+, or Google.com. From the Account Settings page, scroll down to the Services header and click on the "Go to web history" link.) If your Web History is enabled, you'll see a list of recent searches and sites visited. Click the gray Remove all Web History button at the top of the page and a subsequent OK button to clear your Web History.

Just the way I like it, empty and paused.

This action also pauses the Web History feature so that it will no longer track your Web searches and whereabouts. If you'd like to fire it back up, simply click the blue Resume button.

news.yahoo.com/how-to-remove-your-google-web-data-history.html

[Queenie]

I did this yesterday as well.

[Rebel]

Me, too.

[zdunklee]

I did this when I signed up for a gmail account about 3 years ago. I don't like being tracked...however if you are signed in and think that Google still can't track you without showing it to you then you are most likely lying to yourself. Every company tracks you (target does it so well they can tell when you are pregnant) and even with your history turned off you can bet you will get targeted advertisements on websites that are powered by Google Ads.

Edit: I think they track by IP address no matter what, because even when not signed in I get ads for sites that I recently visited all the time.

[The Biff Lebowski]

I believe you are correct sir.

[Rebel]

Feb 29, 2012 9:09:23 GMT -5 zdunklee said:

I did this when I signed up for a gmail account about 3 years ago. I don't like being tracked...however if you are signed in and think that Google still can't track you without showing it to you then you are most likely lying to yourself. Every company tracks you (target does it so well they can tell when you are pregnant) and even with your history turned off you can bet you will get targeted advertisements on websites that are powered by Google Ads.

Edit: I think they track by IP address no matter what, because even when not signed in I get ads for sites that I recently visited all the time.

Yes, that's right, but I'd rather have my tracking info tied to my IP addy than my name, if given a "death is not an option" choice. It creeps me out that Google knows, among other things, every single place I have ever gone, based on the directions I asked for on Google Maps.

I don't want to change my e-mail address, so here's my new approach starting today: I have signed out of GMail from Firefox, which is the browser I use 99.5 % of the time. From now on, I will access GMail in Internet Explorer, and leave it signed in for convenience. That way, the only tracking data tied to my GMail account will be e-mail stuff; everything else will be done in Firefox and only mapped to my IP address.

I'm sure, as both browsers use the same IP address, Google could fairly easily make the connection, so I'm going to give this more thought. I might also start using a proxy server/ IP anonamyzer.

[plumpenut]

thank you sir

[zdunklee]

Mar 1, 2012 8:20:27 GMT -5 Rebel said:

Feb 29, 2012 9:09:23 GMT -5 zdunklee said:

I did this when I signed up for a gmail account about 3 years ago. I don't like being tracked...however if you are signed in and think that Google still can't track you without showing it to you then you are most likely lying to yourself. Every company tracks you (target does it so well they can tell when you are pregnant) and even with your history turned off you can bet you will get targeted advertisements on websites that are powered by Google Ads.

Edit: I think they track by IP address no matter what, because even when not signed in I get ads for sites that I recently visited all the time.

Yes, that's right, but I'd rather have my tracking info tied to my IP addy than my name, if given a "death is not an option" choice. It creeps me out that Google knows, among other things, every single place I have ever gone, based on the directions I asked for on Google Maps.

I don't want to change my e-mail address, so here's my new approach starting today: I have signed out of GMail from Firefox, which is the browser I use 99.5 % of the time. From now on, I will access GMail in Internet Explorer, and leave it signed in for convenience. That way, the only tracking data tied to my GMail account will be e-mail stuff; everything else will be done in Firefox and only mapped to my IP address.

I'm sure, as both browsers use the same IP address, Google could fairly easily make the connection, so I'm going to give this more thought. I might also start using a proxy server/ IP anonamyzer.

Agreed, at least IP address is semi-anonymous.