Hello SEO Nerds, Google is rolling out some new updates which will allow you to remove personal data from searches such as phone numbers and addresses. with the help of this people can now ask for their personal contact information to be removed from Google’s search results.
Google states in an announcement:
“Under this new policy expansion, people can now request removals of additional types of information when they find it in search results, including personal contact information like a phone number, email address, or physical address. The policy also allows for the removal of additional information that may pose a risk for identity theft, such as confidential log-in credentials, when it appears in search results.”
You can request the removal of the following types of information:
- Confidential government identification (ID) numbers like U.S. Social Security Number
- Bank account numbers
- Credit card numbers
- Images of handwritten signatures
- Images of ID docs
- Highly personal, restricted, and official records, like medical records
- Personal contact info (physical addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses)
- Confidential login credentials
Online security and privacy are strongly intertwined. It’s also crucial to have control over how your sensitive, personally identifiable information is found when browsing the internet.
Personal contact information is widely available online, and it can be misused in harmful ways, such as for unwanted direct contact or even physical violence. People have also told Google that in some circumstances they would appreciate the opportunity to remove this type of content from Search.
When Google gets a removal request, they will review all of the content on the page to ensure that the availability of other information that is widely beneficial, such as news items, is not hampered. If content appears on government or official source websites as part of the public record, it will be evaluated. Removals will not be carried out in such instances.
It’s crucial to keep in mind that deleting anything from Google Search does not mean it’s gone forever.
Google is constantly seeking innovative methods to ensure that its rules and built-in safeguards are up to date and simple to use. In addition to this change, Google recently implemented a new policy that allows anyone under the age of 18 (or their parent or guardian) to request that their photographs be removed from Google Search results.
An important balance to achieve is increasing access to information while enabling people to govern their sensitive, personally identifiable information. Google believes that these updates are a key step toward achieving that objective and providing people with the tools they need to be safe.
Source – Google
