You don’t need to be a really private person to want to take your personal information off of Google, which is the most popular search engine. You might instead just be concerned about strangers being able to access information about you that they might use fraudulently. Whatever your reasons are for wanting to erase your personal info from Google, the good news is that there are ways to go about doing so. Continue reading to learn how.
You Can Contact Google to Have Your Information Removed
According to Google’s support page on removing your information from the search engine, they understand that there are situations in which you’d want to have the content removed from search results.
However, they do let you know that, even if you end up taking content from their Search, people might still be able to find it online. For example, a site might not show up in search results on Google, but if someone knows the website’s URL, they’d still be able to go to the site and see your information on there. Or, another website or a social media page might link to the website. Plus, Google is not the only search engine out there, so your information might still show up in the results of other engines.
What Type of Information Can You Remove from Google?
If your personal information being exposed online puts you at risk of scams, fraud, identity theft, etc., you may request its removal. And if there are legal reasons why content that’s related to you would need to be removed, that’s another instance in which Google may help you out.
Bottom line: Google can help you remove your personal info if it falls into certain categories, so be sure to check their support pages to find out if it’s even possible to have any content erased.
Another Option for Removing Your Information from Google
Even if you don’t go through Google to have your information removed, you can still work on increasing the amount of privacy that you have online. For instance, if a particular website has information about you that you want removed, you could just contact them directly. Once the content is no longer online, Google won’t show it in its search results either.
Don’t Forget About Databases That Host Personal Information!
In addition to contacting Google and the webmasters of specific websites, it is also worth taking the time to have your personal information removed from the many different databases that are out there, showcasing people’s addresses, phone numbers, background info, and more. Thankfully, this is pretty straightforward, for the most part.
For instance, you can visit sites like PeopleFinders, search for the PeopleFinders opt out page, and follow the instructions. You would need to do this one website at a time, ensuring that you go to any sites that show up in Google search results when you type in your full name.
Alternatively, you can visit a website that provides you with instructions and gives you the ability to remove your information from multiple databases at the same time. You can start with MyLife opt out as an example.
No matter what, when you need to remove your information from the internet, it will take some time and effort. But if it’s the peace of mind and security that you’re after, it’ll be worth it!
