Google cuts cookie lifespan

The internet giant currently stores cookies, which remind users of their search preferences, on computers for more than 30 years.

But, under the terms of its new privacy policy Google said that its cookies will now automatically delete after two years.

However, the search company said the cookies will only expire if the user doesn’t visit the Google website again in that time period.

If they do, the two year time limit will reset and continue to do so each time the user visits the Google site.

“After listening to feedback from our users and privacy advocates, we have concluded that it would be a good thing for privacy to significantly shorten the lifetime of our cookies,” said Peter Fleischer, global privacy counsel for Google, in a company blog.

“These steps are part of our ongoing plan to continue innovating in the area of privacy to protect our users,” he added.

The move comes as the California-based company faces increasing pressure from campaigners over its privacy record.

Last month, a study by the campaigning group Privacy International, placed Google last in its online privacy ranking table and said that the company had a “hostile approach to privacy”.

The group added that Google had the worst privacy record of all the major internet companies because it did little to protect its users.

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