You Can Finally Get Your Personal Information From Google
Google announced this week that people will now be able to request that their personal contact information be removed from search results. The tech company allows the seizure of phone numbers, email addresses, and physical addresses in an attempt to protect its users from unwanted direct contact and physical harm.
Michelle Chang, Global Search Policy Lead at Google, explained in a blog post: “Open access to information is a key goal of search, but just as important is giving people the tools they need to protect themselves and keep sensitive, personally identifiable information private. . That’s why we’re updating our policies to help people better control their online presence in Search.”
Perhaps the reason for the change in Google’s policy is the rise in online fraud. According to TelTech , 11.6 billion scam messages were sent over US wireless networks in March 2022. Combined with the continued rise in automated calls and the fact that the Federal Trade Commission reported a 70 percent increase in money lost by scammers compared to last year . , it’s easy to see why Google has decided it’s time to make changes to its policy on personally identifiable information in Google search.
If you would like your contact information to be removed from Google, please visit this Google site and specify what information you would like to remove from Google search results. You will be able to choose from the following categories:
- Contact information such as address, phone number, or email address
- Government issued identification number
- Bank account or credit card number
- Handwritten signature and images of identification documents
- Limited personal medical document
- Confidential Login Credentials
You will receive an automatic response from Google and they will review your information. Google doesn’t follow through on all requests, but you’ll get emails from them if they decide to take action. If Google decides to remove the information, please note that it is only removed from Google . Whatever source they get the information from, it will still exist on the Internet on any website that hosts it. To completely remove it from the Internet, you need to contact this third party.