Want to restrict what Google tracks from you? Here’s how in a few quick steps

It is no secret that big tech companies want your data and they have a significant amount of it already based on your consumption of various products ranging from mobile phones to social networking sites. Even as these companies are being held to account around the world, it is important that these nascent steps are complemented in a big way by consumer awareness. While the onus is no doubt lies behind the less-than-transparent walls of these tech giants, it is never too late to be aware of the options that restrict these companies from tracking your activity, location or even just the ads you are being shown.

Web, apps that use Google services

A major share of your activities on Google or apps can be controlled on https://myaccount.google.com/activitycontrols. Here, you can turn off web and app-based activities that Google saves, including-- in its own words-- associated info like location, to give you faster searches, better recommendations, and more personalized experiences in Maps, Search, and other Google services. You can turn this option off as well as the option to include Chrome history and activity from sites, apps, and devices that use Google services.

Under the Web & App Activity sub-section, you can click on MANAGE ACTIVITY to reveal more options including how long you would like for your activities to be stored. You could choose to keep a record of the activity until you manually delete it, for 18 months or for 3 months. Additionally, you could click on the 'Filter by date' option at the top of the page to select a time period during which you wish to see all the Google services the activity covers. On the left hand side of the page, you could choose 'Delete activity by' and delete by topic or product.

Location controls

With location history turned on, Google becomes a personal journal/ GPS that has tracked every single movement of yours, either on vehicle or foot. Google says that it saves 'where you go with your devices, even when you aren't using a specific Google service, to give you personalized maps, recommendations based on places you've visited, and more.' To disable this, go to Location History on the Activity Controls page and turn it off. Further, you can click on MANAGE ACTIVITY where you will be able to view your location is history by any given day, month or year. At the lower right-hand corner of the screen, the settings button presents you the option to 'Delete all Location History.' You could also ‘Download a copy of all your data’ before you delete it.

Using the same options as above, you could also delete or control your voice and audio activity of Google's web or app services. Google claims that it gives you a 'more personalized experience'. Similarly, you could pause or manage Device Information on across your devices that run Google services.

The Activity controls page also always you to turn off or manage your YouTube Search History as well as your Watch History on the video-sharing site.

Ad controls

Perhaps among the most important controls— especially if you are freaked out by extremely customised ads— is Ads option which appears at the bottom of the Activity controls page. You can turn ‘ad personalisation’ off by clicking on the link to this page. While it may not lower how many ads you see, it is likely to reduce the number chillingly personal ads Google tends to show you ever so often.

Read: Google has enough data on you to pen your life history: Here’s how you can access it