Wondering about your google tracking activity? For many users who had previously turned off activity tracking, Google is now turning it back on.
Google is updating its Workspace Settings, including a change that enables activity tracking for all users of Google Workspace accounts, even if the organization’s admin previously blocked it. Furthermore, admins no longer have authority over this setting for their users; instead, all users must individually toggle the tracking off.
“These changes will give users additional control over their search data and better clarify how that data is gathered and used,” Google writes in an email to Workspace admins.
Here’s an overview of the email Google sent to Workspace administrators:
- Starting March 29th, if Google Workspace admins block tracking via the “Web & App Activity” setting, Gmail, Drive, Docs, Calendar, Chat, and several other services will ignore their decision.
- Users will have individual control over a new user feature called “Google Workspace search history.”
- By default, tracking is enabled, independent of the organization’s previous admin settings.
- Google Workspace organizations no longer have the option to turn off “Web & App Activity” for all users.
Tracking turned on by default.
Unless they opt out again, all Google Workspace users will have the Google Workspace search history switched on by default.
Regardless of any organization’s preference for its Workspace users not to be monitored by Google, Google feels it should enable tracking for all users to improve their user experience by optimizing search results.
