Your Private Data Is All Over Google: Here’s How to Quickly Remove Your Personal Info From Google
It’s not easy to wipe yourself clean from the internet, but now Google offers a simple way to remove your personal data. Here is how.
If you’ve ever google searched your name, you know it’s horrifying how much of your private data is truly out there for the public to see. I mean everything.
Not only someone can find your name, age, and where you work, but also your home address and a history of phone numbers, and who you are related to.
All that comes up on top of the Google search results when you look up your name on the internet. And that’s accessible to anyone anywhere with just one Google search.
If you’ve never taken measures to keep your private info ‘private’ online, it’s a great time to do it now.
Take back control and hide your private data from search results by following these 3 steps.
3 Steps to Take Control of ‘Results About You’ on Google
Google recently rolled out an easy-to-use tool to request the removal of your private information from Google search results. As of this month, this feature is still in beta, so you may or may not see this option available right away on your account.
1. Check if the feature is available
Check to see if you have this by logging in to your Google account. On your account menu drop-down, find ‘Results about you’. If it’s there, then the feature is available for your use.
You may also check by clicking on the three-dot icon on a particular search result you’d like to request Google to remove.
Once you confirm that the feature is available on your Google account, it’s time to get started.
2. Do a Search on Google
Do a Google search on your full name to see what personal data of yours is already on search results. You may have to narrow your search by adding your hometown or profession to find search results about you.
The chances are, you’ll find search results with tons of your personal info like your age, number, address, spouse, and workplace.
3. Make a Request to Remove
Tap the 3-dot button on the top right corner of the result you like to request to remove. On the next page, click ‘Remove Result’.
This will open a page where Google will ask you a few questions to verify your information. After that, it’ll send Google a request to have the search result reviewed and possibly removed from the Search.
Once your request goes to Google, they’ll take a few days to review and process. If the request is granted, Google will notify you and your info will be removed from the Google search results.
The URL that hosted your private data should no longer be coming on the searches.
Mine has gotten approval from Google within a day.
While this still does not completely erase your info on Search, it’ll help you take control of your private info online and keep your personal info, private.