Google Just Made It Easier to Remove Your Personal Information Online

The web is now a great digital repository of your personal information—your name, your address, your phone number, and your email, all easily accessible for anyone to discover. But now, after almost three decades of increasing worry, Google has launched a tool to assist you in taking back your privacy.

A Step Toward More Online Privacy

Google recently designed and released a tool Results About You. It allows users to easily find and request their personal information. This can be removed from search results. In an era where data breaches and privacy invasions are the order of the day, this tool is a welcome respite.

To make use of the tool, simply enter your details—your full name, residential address, phone number, and email address. Google will subsequently display a list of search results containing your information. If you notice any results you’d want removed, merely click on the three-dot menu next to the result to check if it’s eligible for removal. If so, ask for removal, and Google will act on it.

Tracking Your Removal Requests

The tool also includes a tracking dashboard that divides the requests into “in progress,” “approved,” “denied,” and “undone,” which enables users to monitor their privacy work in real time. The transparency ensures that individuals know exactly where they are in the removal process.

Need More Privacy Protection? Try DeleteMe

For those who want an even more thorough cleaning, services like DeleteMe take it a step further. DeleteMe employs real humans to scour the internet for your personal information, manually submitting removal requests from the numerous databases that store old addresses, phone numbers, and other sensitive information.

Updating vs. Deleting Information

Interestingly, the Results About You tool also allows users to request an update of the information rather than outright removal. If the old content is mirrored in search results due to updates made on a webpage you can request a refresh. This prompts Google’s system to re-crawl the page and update the search result accordingly.

While information updating instead of removal might seem counterintuitive for those trying to enhance their privacy, it’s an option for people who simply want to have their most current information reflected online.

Final Thoughts

Google’s latest privacy tool is a move in the right direction, making it easier for users to control their online presence. Whether it’s removing old addresses or just limiting exposure of your personal data, the Results About You tool is worth checking out. It’s not a perfect solution, but it’s certainly a move toward a more private web.

Have you tried the tool yet? Take some time to audit your online presence—it could be the first step towards taking back control of your personal information.