Google is making it simpler for people to remove the personal information they find of themselves online as they redesign a privacy hub.
In 2022, the ‘Results about you’ feature was announced and was later updated in 2023. Now, the tool and its capabilities have been redesigned once more.
It’s through this that people can scan for results containing information like a personal phone number or address and seek ways to quickly remove them. “Take control of results about you,” the feature explains. “We’re here to help you find personal info you see on Google. You can ask to remove any results that bother you.”
The hub has now been upgraded to include proactive monitoring, with users alerted if new results are found. This will come through as either an email or Google notification which will then allow people to request a removal if it’s information they’d rather keep private.
Not all information can be removed, however, as the search engine considers some results valuable to the public. This includes anything on a government or educational website, online newspaper, or business website.
How to request for your information to be removed from Google Search
There’s now also the ability to request removals directly on Search which is a new offering.
Through this, people can click on the three dots next to a result and see an all-new updated menu that helps them to understand what content is eligible for removal. From there, a removal request can be submitted which makes it a much quicker process than what it was originally.
There’s now also the chance to update outdated search results that are already out there, like when content has been removed or edited from a webpage but Search hasn’t yet reflected the latest changes.
Again, Google has added another option as people can click on the three dots and request a refresh. From there, the systems will recrawl the page to find and obtain the latest information.
Featured Image: Via Google The Keyword
