Worried About Your Info Online? Google Just Made a Huge Change

Google has made major improvements to its “Results about you” tool, giving users more control over how their personal information shows up in Google Search results. The updated tool is easier to use, faster, and available to more people around the world.

Before, using the tool meant digging through complicated settings in the Google app. Now, signing up is much simpler. Users can quickly add their personal details—like their name, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses—so Google can check if that information appears in search results. Google assures users that this data is only used to find and remove personal information from search results and isn’t used for anything else, like personalizing ads or other services.

One of the biggest upgrades is a new feature that lets users request the removal of personal information directly from the search results page. If users see a search result with their personal info, they can click a three-dot menu next to it and choose “remove this result.” This makes the process much faster and easier than before.

The tool also now allows users to request the removal of more types of information. In addition to the previous options, users can ask Google to remove outdated information. This is helpful when personal details have been updated or deleted from a website but still show up in Google Search. When users request this, Google will check the website again to make sure the search results show the most current information. Users can request removals for three main reasons: personal information (like doxxing content), illegal content (such as copyright violations or child abuse material), or outdated search results.

The tool is now available in more countries, including the US, UK, Ireland, Australia, Canada, South Africa, Brazil, Mexico, Spain, France, Sweden, Thailand, India, and Indonesia. Google plans to make it available in even more countries in the future, showing its commitment to helping users worldwide manage their online privacy.

In short, Google’s updated “Results about you” tool makes it easier for users to control their personal information in search results. With a simpler signup process, a direct removal option, more types of removable information, and wider availability, the tool gives users more power to manage their online presence. These changes highlight Google’s efforts to prioritize user privacy and convenience.

Source: The Verge