Google will soon make it easier for people to remove results about themselves from the company’s search engine, Google said in a blog post Thursday.
In the next few days, an update to the “Results about you” section in the Google App will feature a new dashboard so you can quickly request the removal of certain information from search. This can include your phone number and your home and email address. The app will also notify you when new results from the web pop up with your info.
Note, though, that removing your information from Google Search doesn’t mean it’s been removed from the internet. If you’d like to remove your information from a particular website, you’ll need to reach out to the website directly.
Along with making it easier to remove your information from Search, Google has made a more general change. The company will blur explicit imagery by default. This means that if you’re searching for something related to a bike injury or car crash, you won’t suddenly see a gory picture by accident. Of course, you can still toggle to view the explicit image if need be. This also doesn’t mean that Safe Search, a feature that filters out potentially inappropriate results, is on by default. It’s still off. It’s also possible to turn off blurred images entirely.
Google’s push to make it easier to remove unwanted information from Search comes as stories have percolated over the past few years of people desperately trying to get their information removed. There’s also been pressure from governments to allow people to remove inaccurate information about themselves. In some instances, the information posted online was false and libelous. For these people, it was imperative to get their information taken off Search because it was actively harming their reputation.
Google also says it’s updated its policies regarding explicit personal images. Now, regardless of whether a personal explicit image was posted online consensually or nonconsensually, you can request to have that result removed from Search. This applies to images you’ve uploaded but that are being posted on websites without your approval.
How to remove your information from Google Search
Do a Google search of your name or other relevant information. If something pops up you want removed, click on the three dots next to the result and select Remove result.
Next, open the Google App on your phone or go to goo.gle/resultsaboutyou. Click on your profile in the top right-hand corner and select Results about you. Here, you can track the progress of your removal request.
Google says it usually takes a few days to review a request to “make sure it meets policy requirements for removal.”
