Google expands tools to let users remove sensitive data about themselves from Search
Source: TechCrunch
Image credit: Klaudia Radecka/NurPhoto / Getty Images
Expanded “Results about you” tool
As part of Safer Internet Day, Google unveiled updates to its “Results about you” and non‑consensual explicit image removal tools.
The “Results about you” tool already allows users to remove Search results containing their phone number, email address, or home address. It can now also be used to request the removal of results that include information such as a driver’s license, passport, or Social Security number.
You can access the tool in the Google app by tapping your Google account photo and selecting Results about you. If it’s your first time using the tool, click Get started and add the personal contact information you want to monitor. You’ll then be prompted to add your government ID numbers. Existing users can add their ID numbers and select which ones they want to monitor.
Once you’ve confirmed your details, Google will automatically monitor Search results and notify you if it finds results that contain your information. Google notes that removing this information from Search doesn’t delete it from the web entirely, but it can help keep your information private.
Image credit: Google
The update is rolling out in the U.S. over the coming days, with plans to bring it to additional regions in the future.
Easier removal of non‑consensual explicit images
Google also announced a streamlined process for requesting the removal of non‑consensual explicit images on Search. Users now only need to:
- Click the three dots on an image.
- Select Remove result.
- Choose It shows a sexual image of me.
In addition, users no longer need to report images one by one. They can select and submit requests for multiple images from Search results using a single form, and track the status of all requests in one place within the Results about you hub.
“We understand that removing existing content is only part of the solution,” Google wrote in its blog post. “For added protection, the new process allows you to opt‑in to safeguards that will proactively filter out any additional explicit results that might appear in similar searches.”