In the digital age where every click can be recorded, Google My Activity stands as a transparent window to observe the extent of personal data collected from your Google account. From your searches on the Google engine to your favorite videos on YouTube, through trips recorded via Google Maps, this space concentrates all traces of your use of Google services. In 2025, with the infiltration of connected objects and smart assistants, this collection reaches a new level of intimacy. Yet, beyond simple curiosity to know what is tracked, tools allow you to regain control, erase your personal data, or even block tracking to safeguard your privacy. This practical guide precisely explains how to navigate Google My Activity, shows you how to efficiently delete your Google history, secure your information, and manage access to third-party applications.
Every Google account user faces this crucial question: how to protect their privacy in the face of continuous data collection? Google My Activity, although it may seem intimidating due to the mass of information it presents, is a gateway offered to the user to control their digital traces. From automatic deletion options to manual commands, from checking for suspicious activities to controlling third-party app permissions, understanding and learning how to use this tool has become essential for anyone concerned about their online security. This guide offers you a comprehensive and accessible overview, taking into account the latest technological and legal developments, so that your Google account becomes once again a personal space, respectful of your privacy.
- 1 Understanding Google My Activity: centralization and management of personal data
- 2 Deleting your personal data on Google My Activity: step-by-step methods
- 3 Disable Google tracking: limit collection and strengthen online security
- 4 Online security verification and control of data access in Google My Activity
- 5 The dark sides of Google data collection and legal recourse to protect your privacy
Understanding Google My Activity: centralization and management of personal data
Google My Activity is an accessible dashboard that aggregates and archives all interactions between a user and Google services. Whether you use Google Search, YouTube, Gmail, or Google Maps, all your actions – searches, viewed videos, movements, accessed files – are recorded in this centralized interface. This level of detail goes far beyond simple browsing histories, now including, in 2025, data from recent advances such as Google Lens or smart wearables like connected watches or glasses.
For example, when you take a photo via Google Lens, the tool identifies objects and creates a history linked to this interaction, stored in your Google account. Or, your voice command activities through the Google Assistant, in addition to location data collected via connected objects, enrich this history. This gives Google an overall view of your user profile, which raises important issues regarding confidentiality and privacy protection.
Here is how the collection is organized within Google My Activity:
- Centralized Google history: all services linked to your account feed this database, including mobile applications and connected objects.
- Display by timeline: each activity is listed with the detailed date and time it was recorded.
- Easy access to details: for each item, it is possible to consult precise information and, if desired, delete this individual item.
To access this interface, simply go to myactivity.google.com, where you find a readable feed, sorted by date, allowing simple navigation through your collected data. By clicking on the menu located at the top left, you can also filter and display activities by Google product, facilitating targeted management of your traces.
| Types of data collected | Examples | Goals for Google |
|---|---|---|
| Google Search | Typed keywords, visited sites | Personalization of results, advertising targeting |
| YouTube | Videos watched, viewing time | Personalized suggestions, user engagement |
| Geolocation | Routes, places visited | Adapted services, local advertisements |
| Voice assistant | Commands, oral requests | Response improvement, AI learning |
| Wearables | Usage frequency, interactions | Product enhancement, connected experience |
This total visibility is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it highlights technological advances and personalized services; on the other, it reveals strong issues around data management and the responsibility each user has to control what they wish to share.
Deleting your personal data on Google My Activity: step-by-step methods
Becoming aware of automated collection is only the first step. The major challenge is knowing how to delete sensitive or confidential data in order to control your digital presence. Google My Activity offers various ways to remove this information, manually or automatically, according to your privacy preferences.
Manual deletion of digital traces
Targeted deletion allows you to remove a specific activity. Here are simple steps:
- Sign in to your Google account and go to My Activity.
- Use the sorting menu to display data by product or date.
- Find the item you wish to delete.
- Click on the three vertical dots to the right of this item.
- Select “Delete” to remove this activity.
You can thus progressively clean your Google history, for example deleting searches on sensitive topics or watched videos you prefer to keep private. This mechanism is very effective in decluttering your account from unwanted traces.
Mass deletion: erase the entire history
If you want a complete cleanup, follow this procedure:
- Go to your My Activity page.
- Click on the three vertical dots at the top right.
- Select “Delete activity”.
- Choose “All time” for the period to delete.
- Confirm by clicking “Delete” to erase all data.
This method is radical but effective. However, it is advisable to think carefully as it deletes everything, including information that can improve your user experience.
| Method | Key steps | Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manual deletion | Select specific activity > Delete | Precise control, effective for targeted traces | Time-consuming if many data |
| Deletion by period | Select desired period > Delete all data | Fast, total | Global deletion, possible loss of optimizations |
| Automatic deletion | Set retention duration > Enabled | Automation, simplified regular management | May delete useful data if poorly configured |
Set up automatic deletion to protect your privacy
Since 2019, Google offers a feature to automate data deletion after a defined period. Configuration is done as follows:
- In Google My Activity, open the side menu and click on “Activity controls.”
- Scroll down to “Choose to delete automatically.”
- Choose a retention period: 3 months, 18 months, or 36 months.
- Confirm by clicking “Next” to validate.
This system ensures no data accumulates indefinitely, thus strengthening privacy protection. For example, users wishing to limit their digital footprint can choose a short period like 3 months, which guarantees a history that is always recent and limited. Conversely, longer retention can allow Google to adjust its recommendations more precisely.
Disable Google tracking: limit collection and strengthen online security
Deleting your data alone is not enough to guarantee confidentiality. Action must also be taken upstream, to prevent or reduce collection. Google My Activity therefore integrates options to stop activity tracking in a targeted way across various Google services.
To disable data collection on services linked to your Google account:
- Sign in to your Google account and go to the Google My Activity page.
- Open the menu by clicking on the three vertical dots at the top right.
- Select “Activity controls.”
- Use the switches to disable categories of activities you no longer want collected.
For example, you can disable the collection of search history, location history, or even YouTube activity without affecting other services. This personalizes your experience while limiting the scope of personal data collection.
| Type of activity | Consequence of disabling | Impact on service |
|---|---|---|
| Google Search history | No longer saving searches | Less personalized recommendations |
| YouTube history | End of tracking watched videos | Less tailored recommendations |
| Location history | Location not collected | Limitations on location-based services |
| Voice activity | Voice command not recorded | Voice recognition may be less effective |
Additionally, it is possible to enable automatic deletion to ensure that no accumulated data is kept beyond the chosen duration. Thus, the combination of deletion and disabling offers a comprehensive data management solution within your Google account.
Online security verification and control of data access in Google My Activity
The security of your Google account is a cornerstone to avoid malicious use or hacking that could expose the entirety of your Google history to third parties. The My Activity dashboard thus becomes an essential tool to monitor any suspicious activity and protect your personal data.
It is advisable to regularly check your history to identify:
- Unknown or unusual activities in the history list.
- Access traces from unrecognized devices.
- Browsing or location data not corresponding to your actual usage.
You can also consult the page dedicated to devices connected to your account via the “Device Activity” section. If an unknown device appears, you must immediately disconnect it to prevent any unauthorized access.
Here are the essential steps to strengthen security:
- On your Google account management page, open the “Security” section.
- Check the list of connected devices and remove those that do not belong to you.
- Mandatory activation of two-factor authentication for an additional protection layer.
- Regularly consult Google My Activity to ensure continuous monitoring of your account.
| Threat | Indicator to watch | Recommended action |
|---|---|---|
| Unauthorized access | Unknown activities, suspicious location | Change password and remove unknown devices |
| Device hacking | Connection from an unknown device | Revoke access via the “Device Activity” page |
| Unwanted collection | Activities recorded despite disabling | Review privacy settings and contact Google |
The dark sides of Google data collection and legal recourse to protect your privacy
Despite the tools provided by Google, the digital giant is often at the center of controversies regarding data collection without explicit consent or total transparency. Google’s practices, notably linked to the Firebase SDK used in many mobile applications, have been subject to complaints and class actions.
For example, in July 2020, a US lawsuit mentioned persistent data collection even after disabling options in My Activity, accusing Google of using hidden scripts to maintain this collection for advertising targeting. Google has always claimed to collect only anonymized data, meant to help developers, but the controversy highlights the real limits of privacy protection.
These accusations led to major financial penalties:
- 425 million dollars fine in the United States for data collection despite disabling settings.
- 314.6 million dollars for secret mobile data transmissions.
- 60 million AUD in Australia for deceptive collection practices.
This situation pushes users to be vigilant and proactive in data management through Google My Activity, but also to regularly monitor regulatory developments in the digital domain.
| Country | Fine amount | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 425 million USD | Inappropriate collection after disabling |
| United States (San Jose) | 314.6 million USD | Unauthorized transmissions |
| Australia | 60 million AUD | Misleading information about location |
