If you’ve ever Googled yourself, it can be scary to see how much the web knows about you — and how hard it is to scrub the information.
Now, Google is making it a little easier. The company launched a “remove this result” feature, currently in Beta mode, which allows users to file a request to eliminate phone numbers, emails, and home addresses from appearing in Google Search results.
To remove your personal information from Google search results:
- Search for your name, and click the three vertical dots next to a relevant result/website.
- Select “remove this result” and choose the appropriate removal reason.
- Log into your Google account, enter the relevant information, and click “send.”
You’ll receive a removal decision via email after a few days.
If you need to remove personal information beyond phone numbers, email addresses, and home addresses, choose the “content contains your personal information” option. There, you can have sensitive data, such as Social Security and bank account numbers, removed — as well as images of signatures, pictures of an ID, and more.
To track your request, access the “data & privacy” settings within your Google Account, scroll down to “my activity,” then press the three dots in the search bar and select “other activity.” From there, you can manage results related to you and check the status of your request.
You can also submit a request, here.
However, an approved removal request doesn’t mean it’s gone from the Internet or the specific website where it was originally posted, CNBC added. It will just remove it from appearing in Google results.
The “remove this result” tool is part of Google’s “results about you” feature that launched last year.
