Here’s how you can remove personal information from Google searches

Google has released a new feature that allows users to remove personal information from Google searches. Within the Google app, users can, for example, ask the company to delete search results that contain their phone numbers, emails, addresses and the like.

Back in May 2022, Google announced the “Results about you” feature at its annual developer conference. The tool should allow users to remove personal data from Google searches.

Google releases new function for deleting personal data

For example, within the Google app, users can request the company to remove search results that contain data such as their telephone number, email addresses, home addresses or other personal data. As 9to5Google reports, the search engine giant is currently integrating the function into its app.

Accordingly, the first users could already use the tool. The function will initially be available in the USA and Europe. However, it is not yet available across the board, but should appear gradually.

Here’s how you can remove personal information from Google searches

The new feature should be an integral part of the Google app. In the future, the menu item “Results about you” should appear in the upper right corner of your own profile avatar. Clicking takes users to a page that explains how to ask Google to remove data from Google searches.

These can be search results that contain personal data such as home addresses, emails and telephone numbers. Anyone who finds search results within the Google app that include such personal information can have it deleted using the three-point menu above the result on the right.

All you have to do is click on the “Remove result” tab. Users can then view the status of their request in the new function’s menu at any time. Users can also tell Google there why they want to delete an entry from the search. The following answer options are available:

• It shows my personal contact information
• It shows my contact information with intent to harm me
• It shows other personal information
• It contains illegal information
• It’s outdated

Not all data disappears

However, the process is merely a request to remove a search result. It is initially uncertain whether Google will actually comply with the corresponding requests. A company spokesman said at the I/O developer conference in May:

It’s important to know that when we receive removal requests, we review all content on the site to ensure we are not restricting the availability of other information that is generally useful, for example in news articles. Of course, removing contact information from Google Search does not mean removing it from the web.

However, users do not only remove personal data from the Google search via the app. Users can also request the removal of “certain personally identifiable information or doxing content” via a special support page apply for.

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