We retain the data we collect for different periods of time depending on what it is, how we use it, and how you configure your settings: Some data you can delete whenever you like, such as the content you create or upload. Some data is deleted or anonymized automatically after a set period of time. And some data we retain for longer periods of time when necessary for legitimate business or legal purposes.
The absence of clear, uniform retention periods means users cannot know with certainty when their data will be permanently deleted, and Google's broad 'legitimate business purposes' exception allows indefinite retention of data categories not explicitly covered by user-controlled deletion.
Google collects a wide range of personal data including location history, search queries, emails (for feature delivery), browsing activity on third-party sites via Google's ad network, voice and audio data, and device identifiers, combining these across all Google services to build detailed user profiles. This cross-service data combination powers Google's advertising business and means your activity on one Google product can influence what you see on entirely different products and third-party websites. You can review and delete your data, turn off ad personalization, and manage location history at myaccount.google.com/data-and-privacy.