New “Results About You” Tool Makes It Easier to Remove Personal Info from Google Search
Google has begun to roll out a new tool that will make it easier than ever to remove your phone number, email, and address from its search results.
The search engine giant officially announced this tool, called “Results about you,” in May and it is now live for some users, according to reports by 9to5Google. This tool is meant to replace Google’s current process for removing certain personal information from its searches, but it can be slow and inefficient.
Right now, individuals can fill out a form requesting to remove their information if it meets certain criteria. If search results pose a threat to someone’s safety, or specific personal information, such as their phone number, email address, or home address. The request is then reviewed by Google investigators who will determine if the information is in the public interest, newsworthy or contains official content. Google will send the individual an email explaining whether the request has been denied or accepted.
The new “Results about you” app hopes to make this process smoother by allowing users to request information removal while browsing Google. People who identify the information they want to remove from search results can submit a request simply by clicking the three-dot icon in the top-right corner of each result.
It is important for users to understand that if your request is granted, that information is only removed from Google searches. It will not be completely wiped from the internet unless taken down by the hosting website.
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