In celebration of Safer Internet Day, Google has introduced enhancements to its "Results about you" and non-consensual explicit image removal features. These updates aim to provide users with greater control over their personal data online.
The "Results about you" tool previously allowed individuals to eliminate search results that contained their phone number, email address, or home address. Now, users can also request the removal of results that disclose sensitive information such as driver's licenses, passports, or Social Security numbers, according to the company's announcement on Tuesday.
To utilize this tool, users can navigate to the Google app, tap their account photo, and select "Results about you." First-time users will need to click "Get started" and enter the personal contact details they wish to monitor. Following this, they can input their government ID numbers. Current users can also add their ID numbers and choose which ones to keep an eye on.
Once the details are confirmed, Google will continuously monitor search results and alert users if any results containing their information are found. While the removal of this data from search results does not eliminate it from the internet entirely, it significantly contributes to enhancing user privacy.
The rollout of these updates will begin in the U.S. over the next few days, with plans to extend to additional regions in the future.
Additionally, Google has simplified the process for requesting the removal of non-consensual explicit images from search results. Users now only need to click on three dots associated with an image, select "remove result," and indicate that "It shows a sexual image of me." This new system allows for bulk requests, enabling users to submit multiple image removal requests through a single form, all tracked within the "Results about you" hub.
Google emphasized that removing existing content is just one aspect of the solution. They have introduced a new opt-in feature that proactively filters out any further explicit results that may arise from similar searches, thereby providing an extra layer of protection.
