Have you ever googled yourself and found some personal information that you don’t want to be public? Maybe it’s your phone number, email address, or home address. Or maybe it’s some old photos or posts from your social media accounts.
You might think that there is nothing you can do about it, but you are wrong. Google has a feature that can help you protect your privacy and identity online. It’s called Results About You, and it lets you see when your personal info shows up in Google Search and request to remove it.
What is Results About You?
Results About You is a feature that Google launched in August 2023. It allows you to get alerts when your personal contact information appears in a Google Search query. You can also see the web pages where your info is found and request Google to remove them from its search results.
This feature is especially useful for people who are concerned about doxxing, which is the malicious practice of publishing someone’s personal information online without their consent. Doxxing can lead to harassment, identity theft, or even physical harm.
How to use Results About You?
To use Results About You, you need to have a Google account and sign in to it. Then, follow these steps:
- Go to the Results About You activity page.
- Click Get Started and follow the on-screen prompts.
- Add any contact information that you want to be flagged, such as your name, address, phone number, or email. You can add multiple entries for each one.
- Confirm that this is your information and select how you want to be notified. You can choose to receive emails or push notifications on your devices.
- Google will scan the search results for your personal information and alert you if it finds anything. The initial scan can take a few hours.
- You can return to the Results About You page at any time to edit your information or see the results.
How to remove your personal information from Search?
If Google alerts you that your personal information appears in a search result, you can request to remove it. However, Google cannot delete the information from the original web page, only from its search results. So, you might also want to contact the webmaster of the site and ask them to take down the information.
There are two ways to request Google to remove your personal information from search results:
- On the Results About You page: Go to the Results About You activity page and select Results to review. Check the box next to any results that you want to request removed and click Submit request. Google will review each request according to its policy requirements for removal.
- On the web page: Go to the web page where your information is found and click on the three dots icon in the top right corner of the browser. Select Report this page and follow the instructions.
Conclusion
Results About You is a handy feature that can help you monitor and control your online presence. By using it, you can prevent your personal information from being exposed or misused by others. You can also improve your online reputation and privacy.
If you want to learn more about how Google protects your data and how you can manage your settings, check out these resources:
- Google Privacy Checkup: A tool that helps you review and adjust your privacy settings across Google products.
- Google Account Help: A site that provides answers and tips on how to use and secure your Google account.
- Google Safety Center: A site that offers advice and tools on how to stay safe online.
If you have any questions or feedback, please let me know in the comments below. Thank you for reading!