Google Is Making It Easier To Remove Personal Info On Search

Google has updated its Results About You tool with a redesigned hub, easier removal requests directly from Search, and the ability to refresh outdated results. Engadget reports: Today, the tech giant is announcing the latest changes, including a redesigned hub and the ability to update outdated search results to reflect the latest changes.

The redesign isn't only for show. You can now submit removal requests directly from Search with fewer actions by clicking or tapping the three dots beside a search result. If you manage to have content about you deleted or changed from a website but Google Search hasn't caught up, you can refresh the search, which will "recrawl the page and obtain the latest information." In other words, you can always see the most up-to-date results about you.

Availability?

[Auchmithie]

Not available in my region. Released on 3 Aug 2023 and still apparently only available in US?

Re:

[AmiMoJo]

It's been available in the UK for a while. They can even email you if your personal data appears on new pages that they scan.

Translation

[Big Hairy Gorilla]

You've been distant lately. Don't be a stranger. Tell me allll about your new life. Be sure to fill out the phone number field.

Funny how the system works.

[Bradac_55]

First you have to be logged into your google account.
Second you have to give them your full legal name, address, phone #, *non-google* e-mail address before it will look for anything.

Re:

[nightflameauto]

First you have to be logged into your google account. Second you have to give them your full legal name, address, phone #, *non-google* e-mail address before it will look for anything.

There's the rub. This whole thing is Google being Google: "Give us all your personal information so we can help you."

I've never understood why Google needs a physical address for an online account. Are verifications going to start coming to my mailing address?

Google removing personal data

[BizarreVR]

I had a colleague once who's main freelance money-earner was dealing with B & C list celebrities and using SEO to push unwanted press about them further down search engine results pages. I wonder a few things - how long this will take to come into play, how powerful it will be, i.e. how much personal choice do you have in the matter. I can see some additional problems too with fake news and choosing favorable articles over less favorable ones. I'm not sure Google is trained enough to know the difference