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In a cyberspace flooded with hackers and countless data-stealing websites, safeguarding personal data is paramount. Now, Google allows you to delete personal information through a form on its help center portal.
Google has long had policies to protect its users from potential financial scams and personal information-related deceptions. Personal Identifiable Information (PII) will be automatically removed from search results, including government ID numbers, bank account numbers, ID card photos, handwritten signatures, as well as medical profiles.
And with changes in policy in April 2022, now you can request to remove more personal information such as your phone number, home address, or email address. Additionally, Google will also entertain requests to delete data at risk of being stolen.
How to Remove Personal Data from Google Search
Google is currently testing a new feature in its mobile app for Android devices, enabling users to easily submit requests to remove information and view the status of their previous requests. Here's how you can access this feature.
- Launch the Google app on your mobile device.
- Tap on your profile icon at the top right corner of the app.
- Look for 'Personal results' in the dropdown menu.
- Here you can delete search results containing your personal data.
Additionally, you can also request to remove individual Google Search results containing sensitive personal information that appear when you look up things about yourself. To do that, simply tap on the three-dot icon next to the Google Search result. It will jump to the page 'About this result'. If your Google account has access to the new removal request tool, you will see the option 'Remove result' at the bottom of the page.
How to Delete Personal Information from Google Search without Using the App
If you cannot find the 'Personal results' menu in the Google app or the 'Remove result' button when you tap on the three-dot icon next to each search result, you can request Google to remove your personal information from Search manually. To do so, you need to access the troubleshooting page on Google's Support website, then follow the steps below:
- Select the option 'Remove information you see in Google Search'.
- In the section titled 'The information I want to remove is', choose 'In Google Search results and on the webpages.'
- When asked if you have contacted the site owner yet, choose 'No, I haven't'.
- Select the type of personal information you want to remove from Google Search results.
- Enter the required information, including link(s) to the pages with content you want to remove.
You should attach screenshots of the webpage containing personal information to expedite the removal request process and provide a more detailed explanation for context if you wish. When Google approves your request to remove personal information, Google will stop including webpages containing the data in all search results with your name. If your request is not approved, no changes will be made.
Google's Limits on Information Deletion
It's important to note that while Google can assist you in cleaning up your online presence by limiting search results, it cannot directly remove content appearing on websites or shut down those websites.
This is because Google search results merely direct users to web pages providing the sought-after content; Google can control whether it directs users to that website, but it cannot control the website itself. Hence, others can still find your information on that website if they use a non-Google search engine, such as Bing.
If your deletion request is denied by Google but you still want to remove personal information from the website itself, Google advises you to directly contact the website owner and request them to remove content related to you. If the website administrator confirms your request and removes your personal information, users will no longer be able to access that information even when searching with a non-Google search engine.
According to Slashgear
