Google Privacy Dashboard Redesign Makes It Easier to Find What Google Knows About You

Google has announced that it will soon update its privacy and security dashboard to simplify the design and make it easier for users, including mobile users, to find what sort of personal information they share with the company.

It's a welcome move from the company, which if nothing else, reinforces its commitment to industry-best transparency with users. Privacy enthusiasts are likely to appreciate Google's efforts to make it easier for anyone to find precisely what sort of information it knows about them.

The update is part of a "ground up" redesign Google said, which it plans to roll out to users “in coming days". The company said the redesign is also aimed at making it easier for users to navigate the dashboard on a touchscreen-enabled device.

Launched in 2009, the dashboard is home to My Activity and My Account tools, that document all actions a user has performed across Google services, and all the personal information that they have shared with Google services, respectively.

My Account, which also lists Security Checkup feature, enables customers to easily make changes to how they are interacting with Google services, and quickly revoke access to third-party services, should they desire to do so.

Similarly, My Activity lets people delete some of their past activities like certain Google searches, or video playbacks on YouTube, should they desire to do so. Regardless, all these activities and personal information are exclusively visible to individual users.

"Data helps improve our products, keep them safe, and—with your permission—tailor them to match your interests," the company wrote. "But those interests, and how you want them to shape your Google experience, are constantly changing. That’s why we build powerful, easy-to-use tools that enable you to adjust your privacy preferences, anytime. We’re constantly working to refine these tools based on your feedback."

On its part, not only has Google been transparent about what kind of information it tracks, it has also given users incentives to have a look at these aspects and bolster their security and privacy settings. Last year, the company was offering users an additional two gigabytes of storage space on Google Drive if they reviewed they security settings.