Google rolls out new privacy features for Maps, YouTube and Google Assistant

In an effort to give users more control over their privacy online, Google has released a number of new updates for Maps, YouTube and Google Assistant.

For starters, the search giant is adding an incognito mode to Maps. Google added the feature to YouTube earlier this year and now its rolling out in Google Maps. When a user enables incognito mode in Maps, their activity on the device their using, such as the places they've searched for, won't be saved in their Google Account and will no longer be used to personalize their Maps experience.

Enabling the new feature is also easy and can be done by tapping on your profile photo. Incognito mode in Maps can be turned off at any time when a user wishes to receive restaurant recommendations, information about their commute or other features tailored specifically to them.

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Google announced an auto-delete feature capable of removing a user's location history and web and app activity earlier this year and the feature was so well received, the company has decided to bring it to YouTube. Now users can set a time period from three to 18 months and the service will automatically delete their browsing and viewing history.

Google Assistant is getting an update as well that will allow users to understand and manage the data their personal assistant stores. In the coming weeks, users will be able to delete data from their account just by asking the Assistant to do so by saying something like “Hey Google, delete everything I said to you last week”.

Password checkup

Earlier this year, Google released its Password Checkup Chrome Extension which scans the web for usernames and passwords that have been obtained by hackers and tells users which ones match theirs. The extension is quite popular and has already been download 1m times.

Now Google is building on this technology to recognize Cybersecurity Awareness Month. The company recently launched Password Checkup in user's Google accounts to help check all of their saved passwords against security threats with a single click.

By the end of the year, the Password Checkup extension will even be integrated in Chrome as part of the company's ongoing efforts to automatically protect user's information across the web.

As user expectations for security and privacy evolve, Google is making a concerted effort to do more to protect its users from today's growing cyber threats and to help them better manage their data online.

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