Google is expanding the scope of its “Results About You” tool, which allows users to send requests to Google to remove sensitive personal information about them, including phone numbers and home addresses, from search results, to include a broader scope of personal information.
The company said in a blog post on Tuesday that users can now “find and request the removal of search results containing information like your driver's license, passport, or Social Security number.”
Instead of focusing mainly on contact details, users will now be able to use “Results About You” to remove search information that can directly lead to identity theft.
This move reflects a broader reality of personal data leaks becoming less rare events. In 2024 alone, over 1.35 billion individuals in the U.S. were impacted by data compromises, according to Statista.
Video credit: Google
How to Use it
Using the tool seems relatively straightforward. In the Google app, tap your account photo and select “Results About You,” or visit the hub directly. First-time users should click “Get started” and add the personal contact information they want monitored. They can then add government ID numbers. Existing users can simply update their details.
After that, Google says, “We’ll automatically keep an eye out and notify you if we find any search results containing that information, so you can take action.” Users will review the flagged results and request removal if they violate policy.
Video credit: Google
But this doesn't mean that personal information is out of danger. Google makes clear that “removing this information from Google Search doesn’t remove it from the web entirely.” The source page may still exist. What changes is how easily people can find it through Search.
The company is also refining how people remove non-consensual explicit images. Users can now click the three-dot menu on an image result, choose “remove result,” and select “It shows a sexual image of me.”
Multiple images can be submitted through one form, and request statuses are tracked in the same hub.
Finally, Google also noted that “the new capability will be rolling out in the U.S. over the coming days” and that it is working to bring the feature to other regions.
Ogbonda Chivumnovu
