GOOGLE has made some big changes to a web removal tool that allows you to take down information about you appearing in search results.
Results About You has been around since 2022 but the tech giant is making the process easier from today.
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The feature doesn’t have the power to delete internet pages with details about you.
But it does dramatically reduce their visibility, blocking them from showing up in Google’s search results.
This can make it harder for people to find things like your phone number or address, as well as any embarrassing old web pages you may not want people to see.
The firm says its new hub makes signing up “easier than ever” and has “proactive monitoring” to alert you of any new results about you that may pop up.
And if you spot a result you don’t like, it’s now easier to flag it to Google yourself.
“When you click on the three dots next to a result, you’ll see an updated menu that helps you understand what content is eligible for removal, and lets you submit a removal request in fewer clicks,” the tech giant said in a blog post.
“In some cases, you might want an outdated search result updated — like if you’ve had content about yourself removed or edited from a webpage, but Search has yet to reflect the latest changes in results.
“Now, simply click on the three dots, request a refresh and our systems will recrawl the page and obtain the latest information.”
However, Google still has ultimate say whether a removal you have requested should be actioned or not.
There are various reasons Google accepts result take down requests for.
This includes pages that show your personal contact information.
But also if there is a legal reason such as copyright infringement of your work.
Users can also ask for outdated results that “doesn’t reflect what’s currently on the webpage”.
How to use Results About You
You need to opt-in to benefit from Results About You.
You can access the Results About You hub by visiting this link: myactivity.google.com/results-about-you.
It’s now easier to flag things you spot and want removed about you that appear on Google results too.
Just click on the three dots next to the result.
A menu will appear explaining what to do to request a removal.
