How to remove your data from Google search results: instructions

Google has been a leader among search engines for decades. Approximately 92.07% of Internet users use it as their primary search engine, according towifitalents. Every day, millions of people rely on Google's knowledge for their information needs. 

At the same time, more than 80% of users are concerned about how their data is used and stored, according to a study by the Pew Research Center. In 2023, more than 4 billion people became victims of hacking. In Ukraine alone, more than3,600 cybercrimes were registered over last year , which is 59% more than in 2022.

Google has a significant impact on what information about a person is seen by others. Information such as phone number, home address, or even financial information can appear in search results. This not only creates discomfort, but also increases the risk of cyber fraud.

Controlling search results about a person is an important aspect of digital security. In this article, we will look at how you can "erase yourself" from the Google search engine and thus protect yourself from potential threats.

What Google considers personal information

In general, Google recognizes the importance of protecting sensitive data, but is committed to free access to information. Because of this, its views on privacy may not always coincide with those of the user, and therefore cannot be removed on request.

Personal data, which, according to Google's policy, is private information and can be deleted:

1. Identity documents. If copies of documents, such as a passport, driver's license, identification number, etc., are leaked to the network, the user can request their removal.
2. Financial information. Bank details, card numbers, credit history, etc. are also subject to removal from search engines.
3. Contact. Google allows you to delete a user's phone number, home address, or email address.
4. Medical data. Information about your health status, medical examinations or treatment is confidential. Google will honor such requests for deletion to protect a person's privacy.
5. Personal photos without consent. If your photos, especially those of an intimate nature, have been published without your consent, Google can help you remove them. The company will also assist in removing fake images of a sexually explicit nature published without the user's consent.

At the same time, Google does not consider information, such as a person's name or position, to be confidential, so it may refuse to delete it. The same fate awaits data of public interest, for example, relating to the activities of public figures or related to offenses, contained in news or public databases.

Google is convinced that this approach to privacy protects users from cyber threats on the one hand, and on the other hand, maintains a balance between privacy and access to public information.

How to delete personal information from Google: instructions

The system allows users to protect their data. The process of removing them from search resultsrequires several clear steps.

1. Google your name, phone number, and home address to see what the search engine knows about you. If you see unwanted information, you can try to remove or reduce its visibility. However, it is important to understand that data may be hosted on third-party websites over which Google has no direct control.
2. Submit a takedownrequest to . To do this, you need to fill out the appropriate form, in which you indicate what exactly you want to delete, the specific URLs of the pages, as well as the reason why you consider the specified information to be harmful or infringing. The system may also ask you to provide evidence, for example, a document confirming your rights to data removal.
3. Clear your cache. Anything that has been deleted may still appear in search results due to cached versions of pages, so use Google'sRefreshOutdatedContent tool.
4. Contact the owners of websites that are not owned by Google but still have information about you. Use the feedback form or write to the email address - you can find it in the "Contacts" section on most websites. Ask to have your sensitive data deleted. Google will update the search results after the next indexing of the site.
5. Monitor the status of requests. When you submit a request for deletion, periodically check the status of processing through the corresponding Google interface. In some cases, the process can take several days or even weeks.

What to do if Google refuses to delete information

The result of a user's request to delete information may not always be positive. In case of refusal, some alternative methods of protection may be used.

First of all, in this case, you can contact the Department in the field of personal data protection. The authority may intervene if the rights of a citizen are violated.

The user can also exercise data protection rights (GDPR). The relevant law is in force in the European Union and some other jurisdictions. It allows users to request the deletion of their personal information if it has been collected or processed unlawfully. If you are within the scope of this law, you can request deletion of data from websites in accordance with the GDPR.

Experts recommend using specialized services to protect personal information. Such programs help monitor and remove it from the Internet. Services are usually paid for, but can be an effective tool for maintaining privacy.

To reduce the visibility of personal data, you should also change the privacy settings in your online accounts. For example, on social networks, you can restrict access to your profile to friends or acquaintances only, and hide contact information.

So, as you can see, controlling personal data is a long process that requires active participation - constant monitoring, privacy settings, and preventive measures. And although Google's tools can effectively reduce the risk of misuse of private information, it is better to prevent its leakage than to deal with the consequences later. Moreover, nothing disappears from the network without a trace.