1 of 1 Photo: Getty Images
The internet contains so much information and by doing a quick search you can see what personal details are lying on the web about you or someone you know. According to KTLA 5, Google has a new feature that helps make it easier to "request the removal of search results that contain your phone number, home address or email."
“We’re giving you even more control over your online presence. Let’s say you come across a result that contains your personal contact information that you don’t want public. With this tool, right from the Google app, you can easily request the removal of search results that contain your phone number, home address or email address, said Prabhakar Raghavan, senior vice president of Search at Google at the company’s recent Search On 22 livestream.
The feature is called Results About You and this is how you use the new feature:
- Search yourself on Google
- Locate result containing personal information
- Click on the three dots next to the result
- Look for "Remove result" label and click on it
- Google will then ask questions on why you want the result removed
- You'll then wait a few days to get a response from Google about whether or not the result will be removed
“It’s an exceptional first step by Google,” said Kaplan, who helps people reclaim their privacy online. “It’s critical that you care. That information can be used against you in so many different situations.”
This Google feature is such a great step in trying to prevent information being used on the internet for identity theft and more. There are other great programs you can use to help remove your information from sights such as DIY opt out guides from Delete Me and then the Online Privacy Protection from Discovers free feature on their app. As of right now this feature is being rolled out slowly to everyone and next year Google also hopes to bring alerts that'll let you know about new results that contain your personal information on the internet.