Public Announcement: Google Facilitates Simplified Process for Eliminating Private Information from Search Results
If you're not pleased with the search results popping up about you when you Google yourself, there's a solution. Google's updated "Results About You" tool, introduced in 2022, now offers a more convenient method to request the removal of personal information. This includes outdated results that no longer align with you.
The new feature introduces a hub where you can view any search results related to you. To gain access to this service, you need to sign up and Google will actively monitor search results for you, displaying relevant results in the hub for your review.
Google also allows you to remove specific search results. Simply click the three dots next to a search result and you'll find a new option, "Remove this result." Choose a reason for removal, such as showing personal information, being outdated, or having a legal claim for removal. Google will review your request and take down the result if it meets the necessary criteria.
Consider Google's "Results About You" as a compromise between their desire to gather and share information, and the public's growing concern for privacy. While not a legal right like the European Union's Right to Be Forgotten laws, it's an option to reclaim a bit of your personal information you'd prefer not to be published.
To use this tool, sign into your Google account, select "Manage your Google Account," then "Data & privacy" followed by "My activity" and "Other Activity." Scroll down to "Results about you" and set up your settings, including monitoring names and associated contact information.
Remember, Google might deny your requests if the information is deemed valuable to the public. However, it's always worth trying. With this tool, you can manage your results from the same dashboard.
In the future, proactively using Google's "Results About You" tool in 2022 could help you appear more positively in tech-driven searches. By signing up, Google agrees to actively monitor search results related to you, appearing relevant results in a hub for your review. With the new feature, you can even remove specific search results that contain personal information, showing as outdated or having a legal claim for removal.
