Google expands tools to remove sensitive personal data from Search
Google has enhanced its data removal tools, allowing users to request removal of Search results containing government ID numbers, driver's licenses, passports, and Social Security numbers alongside existing contact information options. The company also simplified the process for removing non-consensual explicit images and introduced proactive filtering to prevent similar content from appearing in future searches.
Google announced updates to its "Results about you" and non-consensual explicit image removal tools as part of Safer Internet Day. The "Results about you" tool, which previously allowed users to remove Search results containing phone numbers, email addresses, and home addresses, now supports removal requests for government ID information including driver's licenses, passports, and Social Security numbers.
Users can access the tool through the Google app by tapping their account photo and selecting "Results about you." New users must click "Get started" and add personal contact information to monitor, followed by government ID numbers. Existing users can add ID numbers and select which ones to monitor. Once confirmed, Google automatically monitors Search results and notifies users if matching information appears. The company clarified that removing information from Search does not delete it from the broader web but helps keep personal data private. The update is rolling out in the United States over the coming days, with expansion to additional regions planned for the future.
Google also made requesting removal of non-consensual explicit images more accessible. Users can now click the three-dot menu on an image, select "remove result," and tap "It shows a sexual image of me." Multiple image removal requests can now be submitted simultaneously through a single form rather than individually. Users can track all request statuses within the "Results about you" hub. The company added that the new process includes optional safeguards that proactively filter additional explicit results from similar searches.