Have you ever googled your name and found something you don’t like?
Google receives tens of thousands of requests to remove personal information, such as addresses and social security numbers from webpages found on their search results every year. But only about 13% of requests get approved.
It’s now easier to make a request to get your info removed.
Personal information online can often lead to hacking
There were nearly 2,000 data breaches in 2021 and 83% of those involved personal information like social security numbers, which were then posted online. [We’ve done several stories involving data breaches.]
Google now has a simple online form where you can send in the sensitive information you found and request for it to be removed from search engine results. Here is a direct link to the form. You’ll soon be able to make this request from the Google app.
Personal information you can ask to be removed from Google searches
- Social security numbers
- Credit card numbers
- Photos of signatures
- Bank account information
- Medical records
- Address, contact information
- Images of handwritten signatures
- Images of ID docs
- Confidential login credentials
What happens after you submit the removal request to Google
After you submit your request to Google you will get an automated email confirmation. This confirms they received the request. Google will review the request and will evaluate each one. They also evaluate the content for the public interest. You will get a notification of any action taken.
If Google finds the URLs are within the scope of their policies, the URLs will either be removed for all queries or be removed only from search results in which the query includes the complainant’s name, or other provided identifiers, such as aliases. If the request doesn’t meet the requirements for removal, you will get a brief explanation. If your request is denied and later you have additional materials to support your case, you can re-submit your request.
Results are not removed from everywhere on the internet
Google can only remove the search results of the website with the information. It cannot remove your information from the actual website. For that, you will still need to contact the website owner. There are cases where google will not remove links with your information if it is part of a public record, such as a government file or police records.