Google Search is making it easier to take down personal info you don’t want the Googling public to see with a redesign to its “Results about you” tool.
In a new The Keyword blog, Google explains how it has revamped Results about you to make keeping tabs on sensitive details easier. By putting your information into the form (which Google promises is not shared or used for personalization), Google’s system can automatically keep a lookout for it in Search results, showing you any relevant ones it has found, and the status of any removal requests you then make.
You can make removal requests from Results about you, or in the regular Google Search interface by clicking the three dots menu for a result. You can use this system to request to remove other personal information too, to enforce legal removal requests or refresh a result to see if a web page has changed in light of other action.
This tool is ideal if you’re concerned that personal information like your phone number, address, payment details or usernames and passwords that may be publicly available due to data leaks or insecure privacy settings. But as well as keeping private data private, Google also touts the benefit of refreshing irrelevant or incorrect content with this system. Handy if you do actually want your contact details available online and up to date.
Google reviews all the requests you make, meaning it could be a few days before you see offending results disappear or change. It should hopefully stop any disingenuous requests too.
It’s great to see Google taking steps to make sure users retain control of their data once it’s out in the world. But the smarter thing to do is to make sure those details don’t get out in the first place. Using products like the best password managers or best VPN can be invaluable in this pursuit.
