It’s nearly hard to take something down once it’s on the internet. However, Google has made it easy for anybody to request that their personal information be removed from Google’s search results. Google has been vocal in its opposition to a global “right to be forgotten,” a provision of European legislation that permits EU individuals to request that corporations, including internet giants, remove personal data about them. However, this hasn’t prevented Google from providing customers with options to restrict the amount of data it gathers as a corporation, as well as methods to request that their photographs be removed from Google’s image search results.
You can now ask Google to remove personally identifiable information about yourself (or someone you represent) from its search results, such as a phone number, email address, or home address, as well as other sensitive information that could be used to break into your online accounts, such as login credentials, using its new search results removal request feature. This, according to Google, can assist victims of doxxing, which occurs when personal information about a person is released online without their knowledge, sometimes with malevolent intent.
To have your search results removed, first make a list of what Google need in order to fulfill your request. Google says which types of personal information it will erase, including secret government ID numbers, bank account details, photographs of ID papers, and contact information such as phone numbers and email addresses. When you’re ready, go to Google’s search results removal form and select Remove information from Google Search, then Remove information from Google’s search results and from a website. If you wish to contact the website host at this point, Google will guide you, but if you don’t, you can simply answer No, I don’t want to contact the website host and continue with the form.
Google should now ask you which search results you want to be eliminated. Select Personal information, such as ID numbers and private papers, and then choose the type of personal information you want erased, such as your contact information, private medical records, or other government identity documents. From here, fill out the form with your relevant information, such as your complete name, country of residence, best contact email address, and a list of your personal information’s web sites. The web URLs of illegal search results can be found in the address bar of your browser.
The final question on this form is if your personal information is being shared with harmful, threatening, or harassing purpose, which Google defines as “sharing with malicious, threatening, or harassing intent.” Select yes if this is the case. You must mention all of the site addresses from which you obtained your information. That can refer to both the webpage that contains your information and the Google search results page’s web address. To assist Google narrow down the request to you, you may need to take and upload screenshots of search results. At any given moment, you can submit up to 1,000 site addresses. Check the signature form at the bottom of the form after you’re finished.
