Have you ever tried searching for your personal information on Google, and was surprised that your email, phone number, or other personal data; Available to anyone who thinks to search for your name? In fact, that’s not a problem anymore; Users can now delete their personal information from Google search results, and we’ll explain how in this report:
How to delete personal information from Google search results
Google has announced that users will be able to submit requests to remove additional Google search results that contain their personal information.
The company has formerly set very high standards for results that include personal information about users, such as their email address, domestic address, or phone number.
“Open access to information is undoubtedly the primary goal of searches, and the same is true for empowering people with the tools they need to protect themselves and keep their touchy personal data private,” Michelle Chang, director of global search policy, wrote in the ad. The new measures could protect users from having their personal information exploited by some people who might consider harassing them with that information, or even threatening and blackmailing them.
What should I do?
You can start the removal process by visiting the topic’s support page, dragging the screen to the middle of the page, and then urgent the blue “Start Removal Request” button.
You will initially be asked if you have contacted the website owner, and you do not have to, so you can press “No, I would not prefer that”.
And when you ask Google what you want to remove, you can choose: “Personal information, such as identification numbers and private documents.”
Then choose the type of personal information that appears in the search results, such as your contact details, or your driver’s license.
These steps are limited to removing results from active websites; There is a separate form that can be used for cached pages.
Click on the box that indicates that the content is currently displayed on the site. Then the next question would be whether the request was related to “personal information collection/exploitation” attacks, which Google defines as “sharing your contact information with malicious intent, threatening or harassing.”
Then the platform will ask you for your full name, country of residence, and email. You are only allowed to submit removal requests when the results relate to you or someone you officially represent.
Up to a thousand links can be submitted at a time; Google will ask for URLs that contain offensive content or images, and will ask you to share the search results in which the content appears.
You can review the Google Directory to find content URLs, images, and search results pages.
Attach a screenshot to your application, to show where your personal data appears on the web page. At the end of the form, you will be asked to share a list of applicable search terms, such as your full name, surname, and middle name. You will also get a chance to share supplemental details before signing up and submitting a removal request.
You will receive a confirmation message from Google to know that the platform has successfully received the removal request.
We don’t know how long it will take to review the application, but Google will definitely let you know when it decides to act, or take no action at all.
The platform promises to provide brief explanations when requests are rejected, and allows the request to be repeated again, according to Wired .
It is worth noting that, moreover to removing personal information, Google is also considering requests to remove images of minors, sexual deepfakes, and other adult content.
