How to Opt Out of Google Search’s New AI Data Training
▼ Summary
– Google is rolling out a new Search Services History setting that may retain users’ uploaded media, audio, and images for AI training, often enabled by default.
– Users can opt out of the setting and delete saved activity via the My Activity page, and must uncheck the box to prevent media from being used for AI training.
– Even if users delete original activity, training data may be kept for up to four years after being used to improve AI models.
– The setting stores more than just typed searches, including Google Lens images, voice recordings, and Translate audio.
– A Google spokesperson stated the settings help provide more relevant results and can be turned off at any time, but did not explain why it is on by default.
Every time another notification pops up detailing how a company plans to leverage personal data for AI training, I feel a little piece of my soul wither. That email recently landed in my inbox from Google, bearing the subject line: “New privacy settings for Search services.” It signals the beginning of a global rollout over the coming months that will reshape how Google handles your Search history data.
Nearly every form of media you interact with on Google, from photos submitted for reverse image searches to audio clips captured during Google Translate sessions, could be retained in your account and used to refine Google’s AI models. When I first visited the relevant settings page, I discovered this new option, called Search Services History, was already active. (For users who had previously disabled Web & App Activity and Search Personalization, it would be turned off.) Additionally, the box that allows Google to save all uploaded media from Search for AI training was already checked. Great.
Once this update reaches your account, you can head to Google’s My Activity page and navigate to the Search Services History tab to opt out. This page provides a clear overview of what Google retains from your Search activity. It’s also where you can disable the entire setting and delete your history. Crucially, you must uncheck the box next to Save media if you want to prevent your image uploads from being used for AI training.
It’s wise to make this change sooner rather than later. After your media data enters the AI processing pipeline, there’s little you can do to retrieve it. When I turned off this feature, a pop-up explained: “If your saved media is used to train our AI models, it is disconnected from your Google Account. This training data will be kept for up to 4 years, even if you delete the original activity.” That’s an awfully long time for my random image Search uploads to drift through the digital void.
“These new settings help users get more relevant results and revisit their searches,including visual and voice searches,and they can be turned on or off at any time,” said Davis Thompson, a Google spokesperson, in an email. He did not address WIRED’s question about why this feature is enabled by default.
So what exactly is being saved? Google is transparent that it now stores far more than just typed search queries. “Your saved media includes your images, files, and audio and video recordings from your interactions with Search services,” the page description reads. “This includes things like Google Lens images, recordings from Search Live or Translate speaking practice, content you upload, and voice searches.”
(Source: Wired)
