Google has released new tools which will help users track and delete search results about themselves.
Targeting data privacy
The company has made the process of deleting personal information easier.
For instances of inaccurate or offensive content, users can submit a request for Google to remove that content from search results.
How it works
Users will be able to remove certain search results about themselves, such as false information, unwanted contact details, or copyright violations.
The tool will scour the web for results about users in a personal dashboard.
To access this tool in the Google app, click on your Google account photo and select the option “Results about you.”
With this, the user can keep track and receive notifications when private information such as address, phone number, or email appears on search and request a specific result to be removed.
SafeSearch
It has also announced a new tool for parents to blur explicit images from their children’s search results.
The new SafeSearch feature will be rolled out this month, which will make it easier for people to remove personal explicit images from Search.
However, Google has warned that although it can remove search results, the content still remains on the internet.
Access
The new tool is only available in the U.S. and in English for now.
Users can access it from Google’s “Results about you” dashboard on mobile and web.
Once a user inputs their personal information, the dashboard will automatically pull up websites that contain any matches.
They can then check each site it appears on and then submit a request to remove it.
Requests can be tracked from Google’s hub, which shows requests that are in-progress, approved, denied, or undone.
Clarification
It should be noted that it doesn’t actually delete the information from the internet, rather it just stops it from showing up in search results.
People can still find your information if they go to the webpage it’s on.
It also has some restrictions on the kinds of search results it can and can’t remove.
It will also refuse to take action on results from governments or educational institutions.
For content that Google cannot remove, it suggests that users contact the specific website that has posted unwanted information about themselves.
