Recently, I’ve been diving deep into the rabbit hole of digital privacy, specifically focusing on Google’s data retention policies. The topic hits close to home, especially since I’ve spent countless hours tinkering with development tools and cloud services, always with that nagging feeling about the digital footprints I’m leaving behind.

Google’s “My Activity” deletion feature presents itself as a simple solution to wipe your digital slate clean. But let’s be real - it’s about as effective as using a garden hose to clean up after a flood. Their own policy states that while deleted activity is “immediately removed from view,” they still retain certain information for the “life of your Google Account.” That’s corporate speak for “we’re keeping whatever we want.”