Google expands tools to allow users to remove personal information from searches

As part of Safer Internet Day, Google disclosure changes to “Your results” and tools to remove inappropriate images.

The “Results about you” tool already allows users to remove search results that contain a phone number, email address, or home address, and can also be used to request the removal of results that include information such as a driver’s license, passport, or Social Security number, the company said in an update Tuesday.

You can access the tool in the Google app by clicking on your Google account icon and selecting “Your results.” If it’s your first time using this tool, you need to click “Start” and add the information you want to know. You will be asked to add your government ID numbers. Existing users can add their ID numbers and choose who they want to manage.

When you verify your information, Google automatically monitors search results and notifies you if it finds results that contain your information. Google says removing this message from Search doesn’t remove it from the Internet, but doing so can help keep your information private.

The change is happening in the US in the coming days. Google plans to bring it to other regions in the future.

The tech giant also announced that it’s making it easier to request the removal of pornographic images that you’ve already agreed to on Search. Now, users just need to click the three dots on the photo, select “remove results,” and then click “Shows my sexy photo.” In addition, you no longer need to specify images one by one, as now you can select and send requests for several images from the search results using a single form. Users can also monitor the status of all requests in one place within the “Results about you” hub.

“We understand that removing content is only part of the solution,” Google wrote in a statement blog post. “For your own protection, this new method allows you to enter into defensive measures that will prevent any other results that may appear in a similar investigation.”