Summary
Under certain circumstances, Google allows you to request the removal of information from its search results. However, it used to be challenging to keep track of those requests, especially if you had several. Fortunately, Google has solved that problem by creating a central place to manage removal requests.
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Multiple countries worldwide, including all the nations of the European Union, have given their citizens the right to request removal of their information from search results. This is often called the right to be forgotten. Fortunately, Google has recently rolled out a new dashboard that helps simplify this process.
For Personal Tech Media, this is Two Minute Tech. I’m Jim Herman.
Google’s Results About You page will catalog requests you have made to have Google remove data from its search results. If a search result includes your email address, home address, or phone number, you can ask Google to remove it straight from the search page. Just click on the three dots in the upper right corner of the search result and choose Remove Result.
If you believe Google should remove other information, such as incorrect claims about you or material to which you hold the copyright, you can fill out a form to request removal. That form will walk you through alternative steps that may be a better option, such as contacting the site’s owner or requesting a page review.
However, Google notes in their form that while the removal tool does remove the information from search results, the data is still on that website. To have incorrect or sensitive information removed permanently, you will have to contact the site owner.
Finally, you can monitor for personal information by doing regular Google searches for your name, but that can be challenging to remember to do. Fortunately, Google Alerts can help. Go to google.com/alerts and enter search terms related to you. Google will send you an email any time it detects those terms as it’s scanning the web for new content.