Google Brings Activity Tracking Back To Life For Its Workspace Users

Google changed the settings back in Workspace. (photo: Google Workspace Doc)

JAKARTA - Starting today, Google is changing the settings in its Workspace again, including a change that enables activity tracking for all user accounts on the service.

Previously only admins could disable activity tracking for all users on the Web & App Activity tab. Now admins can no longer control this setting for their users, therefore if users don't want this feature enabled, they have to disable tracking manually.

The tracking previously covered by Web & App Activity is broken down into two controls, one still called Web & App Activity, and there's a new setting called Search History.

Browsing History is enabled by default for each user. Again, admins can no longer control this setting, so each user in Google Workspace will have to turn off their own Browsing History.

Perhaps many are wondering what the settings actually do. Web & App Activity allows Google to track and store almost everything a user does in their Google account.

This means that the user's location, language, IP address, client info, and text and audio searches on most Google products will be tracked.

This feature also allows Google to store any ads that users click on or items they buy on the advertiser's site, plus lots of device info, such as recent apps used, and the names of contacts that were recently searched.

Meanwhile, the new Browsing History spans Google Workspace services, such as business apps like Gmail, Calendar, Docs, Contacts, Drive, Google Chat, Keep, and more all in Google Workspace requirements.

Search History doesn't include Google Search or Google Maps, YouTube, or anything else that isn't on the Workspace page.

Google argues that because Workspace is a paid service and the company never uses user data in Google Workspace's core services for advertising.

"Users will be more comfortable enabling Browsing History for Workspace apps because that data shouldn't be used for targeting ads," Google said as quoted by Ars Technica, Wednesday, March 30.