In a recent bid to help expand which types of information users can request, Google says it’s allowing the removal of personal contact details from its search results.
Therefore, all users need to do is send out a request to remove sensitive information that can easily be found in its search results. This can vary from your phone number and address to your email address too.
The tech giant says the implementation of the new policy can be viewed as a protective strategy to ward off bad actors that could potentially use these details in a number of malicious ways.
For instance, you wouldn’t know if someone was stalking you or conducting theft using your identity. Therefore, it makes sense that such a maneuver came into play, better late now than never.
Google highlighted the move by mentioning how the web is constantly involved and that means you’re likely to find all sorts of information popping up on screens in the most unusual settings and times.
Hence, that’s why it feels the time has come for policies like these to be evolved to provide protection to those that it feels need it most- its users.
While the information shown above could easily be requested in terms of immediate removal, there are other reports circulating about how Google has also limited the number of information that personally identifies a certain user. This can include your bank account numbers, ID card numbers, and even numbers on your credit cards.
Similarly, Google is trying to add on signatures as well as private details given in medical records that it feels are sensitive and can be misused.
Another report highlighted how users can even go as far as requesting the removal of nudes that have been published without the users’ consent. And the announcement that came on Wednesday the tech giant also included the removal of any user’s login credentials too.
This is indefinitely a mighty tool that is designed to prevent stolen identity thefts and other hacking schemes where users are deemed most vulnerable. But how does one actually go about the entire procedure?
Well, it’s awfully simple. Just log on to the search engine’s support page on a particular topic and type in your URL through which those personal details can be found. And the best bit is, that one user has the freedom to submit as many as 1000 URLs on their forms.
But that does not mean Google will be saying yes to each and every one of the requests that come through. The company has delineated how they will be evaluating each request they receive very carefully to prevent riding out any details that it feels could be useful in a broader sense.
One great example provided by the platform was related to news articles. Another example includes whether the details requested are included in government-owned public records or a number of other official sources. And if that’s the case, your request will be denied.
In cases where the request is actually accepted, the search engine will immediately remove that URL from being displayed in the search results.
Read next: Google Starts Specifying Question Answering Time Stamps in Video Search Results
Therefore, all users need to do is send out a request to remove sensitive information that can easily be found in its search results. This can vary from your phone number and address to your email address too.
The tech giant says the implementation of the new policy can be viewed as a protective strategy to ward off bad actors that could potentially use these details in a number of malicious ways.
For instance, you wouldn’t know if someone was stalking you or conducting theft using your identity. Therefore, it makes sense that such a maneuver came into play, better late now than never.
Google highlighted the move by mentioning how the web is constantly involved and that means you’re likely to find all sorts of information popping up on screens in the most unusual settings and times.
Hence, that’s why it feels the time has come for policies like these to be evolved to provide protection to those that it feels need it most- its users.
While the information shown above could easily be requested in terms of immediate removal, there are other reports circulating about how Google has also limited the number of information that personally identifies a certain user. This can include your bank account numbers, ID card numbers, and even numbers on your credit cards.
Similarly, Google is trying to add on signatures as well as private details given in medical records that it feels are sensitive and can be misused.
Another report highlighted how users can even go as far as requesting the removal of nudes that have been published without the users’ consent. And the announcement that came on Wednesday the tech giant also included the removal of any user’s login credentials too.
This is indefinitely a mighty tool that is designed to prevent stolen identity thefts and other hacking schemes where users are deemed most vulnerable. But how does one actually go about the entire procedure?
Well, it’s awfully simple. Just log on to the search engine’s support page on a particular topic and type in your URL through which those personal details can be found. And the best bit is, that one user has the freedom to submit as many as 1000 URLs on their forms.
But that does not mean Google will be saying yes to each and every one of the requests that come through. The company has delineated how they will be evaluating each request they receive very carefully to prevent riding out any details that it feels could be useful in a broader sense.
One great example provided by the platform was related to news articles. Another example includes whether the details requested are included in government-owned public records or a number of other official sources. And if that’s the case, your request will be denied.
In cases where the request is actually accepted, the search engine will immediately remove that URL from being displayed in the search results.
Read next: Google Starts Specifying Question Answering Time Stamps in Video Search Results
