Google has been bombarding users with new updates recently as evidenced by the password protection update on the ‘my activity’ usage history.
After the I/O 2021, we have noticed Google has been moving towards rather notable privacy and security reforms. The My Activity page on Google is adding extra password verification before showing you all your interactions and account usage which is an appreciable trait considering many users tend to share their accounts.
If you were to visit the My Activity page (https://myactivity.google.com/myactivity), you would be presented with a title box displaying 'add more security to My Activity by turning on extra verification' as opposed to the usual list of activities that help Google make services more useful for you, like helping you rediscover the things you've searched for, read, and watched. The extra verification feature is optional, giving you the choice of whether you want extra privacy or are fit as of the services already provided.
It's simple way to keep your history safer on shared devices as after you turn on Extra Verification, Google will make sure it's you before you can see or delete your full history on My Activity. You should keep in mind that this setting applies to My activity only and not other domains. Your history may still appear in other Google products which means your history isn't as personal as you'd assume it to be.
As for the procedure, once you select the My activity option, you would be prompted to enter your Google Account password to set it. After that, the top half of the page would look as it normally does, while the actual full history list below is locked until the said password is entered. That is until Google verifies it's you, there's no entering that part of your activity. This would come in handy if you use a shared device and forgot to log out.
This step puts added emphasis on the fact that major consumer apps like Gmail, Drive, and Photos do not use your content for advertising purposes. Google is ensuring your security and privacy are protected by all means.
Read next: Google promises to protect privacy through the pop ups in Gmail, Drive, and Photos
After the I/O 2021, we have noticed Google has been moving towards rather notable privacy and security reforms. The My Activity page on Google is adding extra password verification before showing you all your interactions and account usage which is an appreciable trait considering many users tend to share their accounts.
If you were to visit the My Activity page (https://myactivity.google.com/myactivity), you would be presented with a title box displaying 'add more security to My Activity by turning on extra verification' as opposed to the usual list of activities that help Google make services more useful for you, like helping you rediscover the things you've searched for, read, and watched. The extra verification feature is optional, giving you the choice of whether you want extra privacy or are fit as of the services already provided.
It's simple way to keep your history safer on shared devices as after you turn on Extra Verification, Google will make sure it's you before you can see or delete your full history on My Activity. You should keep in mind that this setting applies to My activity only and not other domains. Your history may still appear in other Google products which means your history isn't as personal as you'd assume it to be.
As for the procedure, once you select the My activity option, you would be prompted to enter your Google Account password to set it. After that, the top half of the page would look as it normally does, while the actual full history list below is locked until the said password is entered. That is until Google verifies it's you, there's no entering that part of your activity. This would come in handy if you use a shared device and forgot to log out.
This step puts added emphasis on the fact that major consumer apps like Gmail, Drive, and Photos do not use your content for advertising purposes. Google is ensuring your security and privacy are protected by all means.
Read next: Google promises to protect privacy through the pop ups in Gmail, Drive, and Photos
