stop Google history gathering

[RedRock]

Although it is now > 3/1/12, you can still pause your history gathering--I just did it.

www.digitaljournal.com/article/320137
NB: Italics and underlining added by me, not the article author.

www.digitaljournal.com/article/320137

How to delete your Google Browsing History before new policy
Posted Feb 24, 2012 by JohnThomas Didymus

With just a week to go before Google changes to its new privacy policy that allows it to gather, store and use personal information, users have a last chance to delete their Google Browsing History, along with any damning information therein.

Tech News Daily reports that once Google's new unified privacy policy takes effect all data already collected about you, including search queries, sites visited, age, gender and location will be gathered and assigned to your online identity represented by your Gmail and YouTube accounts. After the policy takes effect you are not allowed to opt out without abandoning Google altogether. But now before the policy takes effect, you have the option of deleting your Google Web History by modifying your settings so that Google is unable to associate data collected about you with your Gmail or YouTube accounts.

Tech News Daily reports that 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. EFF advises all Google users to delete their web history.

Meanwhile, Center for Digital Democracy has filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission, asking the Commission to sue Google to stop the policy change. Tech News Daily reports FTC can impose fines up to $16,000 per day for violation. Daily Mail reports that deleting your browsing history before March 1 when Google's new privacy policy comes into effect will limit Google's ability to track and record your every move online. The process is simple. Follow the steps below:
1. Go to the google homepage and sign into your account.
2. Click the dropdown menu (the downward triangle) 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.

Google's ability to gather personalized information about you by assigning data to your Gmail and YouTube accounts will remain "Paused" till you click "Resume."

[Major_A]

I just recently herd all this. Does this only happen if your signed into google?

and does this mean they are reading your email?

[RedRock]

Go go google.com on your web browser. Are you signed in to Google, according to the page?
If yes, follow the instructions listed in the link and SEE WHAT'S IN YOUR HISTORY OF GOOGLE USE ALREADY. You'll be amazed at what's there. If not, sign in and do that. If you are signed in, and you didn't know you were, it might be because you signed in for your gmail and didn't sign out. the g in gmail is Google, you know. Sign in to gmail, go to the bottom of your inbox page, and look at the "Last account activity: xxx days ago" and click on "Details" and see what they've tracked on you--it will be IP #'s and other stuff! Mine even had where I used my iPhone google app on Feb. 8 !!!!!

[Major_A]

I get my email from gmail and all other email accounts using Thunderbird so I
almost never sign in.

I just want to be making sure the email is still private.
Is it safe to assume it still is?

[Lamron]

I don't think anybody cares about the content of your E-Mails. They just want records of what you search for and click on because that's valuable info that can be sold for targeted marketing purposes.

[Major_A]

I was actually under the impression every
browser there is already did that for years?

Before I discovered adblock when ever I'd search
for something, something very close or that subject
would start showing up in ads on websites anyway
because of cookies and all that, or however it works.

So the difference between then and now it just
seems to me that they changed their policy stating
they are doing it, before someone tried to sue them
for not disclosing they did it to begin with.
That's just how it comes across to me though, idk
how it works.