In this article:
- Google and other tech companies are facing pressure to protect the privacy of consumers.
- Google is letting more people ask the search engine to remove things like phone numbers and ID information from search results.
- You can include 1,000 links in every request.
If you’ve ever Googled yourself, you might have been disturbed by how anyone can find information about you.
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Google wants to give you more control over the details people can access via the search engine. With its new tool, you can limit certain data that Google will pull up in search results. You can fill out a form requesting the removal of data like your address, your phone number, and more through Google.
Until this recent announcement, Google had higher standards for removing personal information. The tech company would only remove those items if there was a real or potential threat to the person, due to doxxing or identity theft, for example. But now people can request that Google eliminate information even without clear risk.
In order to submit a request, you need to tell Google whether or not you’ve contacted the owner of the URL containing personal data. Then, you need to outline what it is that you would like scrubbed. Options include personal info, like ID numbers and private documents, nude or sexually explicit items, content with exploiative removal practices, content that should be removed for legal reasons, and imagery of an individual currently under the age of 18.
You also need to provide the links where the content appears and attach a screenshot of the information. You can submit up to 1,000 URLs to Google at once, but the sites have to be live. Google then reviews the request and either accepts or rejects it. While removing the information from search results won’t remove it from the actual URL, it will likely make that information less easily accessible.
Google also said that it is taking removal requests for images of minors, deepfake pornography, and other explicit content.
In explaining the reasoning for expanding the criteria for removal, Google’s global policy lead for search Michelle Chang said, “open access to information is a key goal of Search, but so is empowering people with the tools they need to protect themselves and keep their sensitive, personally identifiable information private.”
Increasingly, tech companies are responding to pressure from governments and consumers to be more careful with consumer data. Google’s decision to change considerations for content removal is just the latest step in that direction.