Chrome 69 now signs you into the browser automatically when you sign in to Google websites and services, which then uploads your browsing history, as well as other information, to Google.

In previous versions of Chrome, you could visit Gmail, YouTube or other Google websites and log into them without needing to be logged into the browser as well. While signing into your Google account in Chrome brings benefits, such as synchronising your bookmarks and passwords, there are some privacy reasons why you’d want to keep that information stored locally on your PC, rather than share it with Google.

It means if you’re using a shared computer to browse and check your emails in Gmail, you’ll want to make extra precautions to ensure that you are fully logged out when you’re finished.

The move is being seen as Google blurring the boundaries between its software and its services.

Google has insisted that the feature was designed to make the company rich by selling advertising help avoid complications when someone is logged into Chrome, and another person uses that browser to log in to their own Google account when visiting a Google website.

If you don’t like the idea of Google’s increasing data collection about your online habits, then it may be time to think about moving to something a little more secure with a cute red panda logo.

Passwords and bookmarks aren’t synced by default when you’re signed in automatically to Chrome 69, but that might not be enough to stop people worrying.

If you want to make sure your web browsing history is not uploaded, open up Chrome's Settings page, and underneath your username, you'll see 'Sync'. Click that, then turn off everything you don't want syncing online, including your browsing history.