A modification of Google’s privacy policy has seen the company creating the option for users to remove personal data from search results. Users can now request that their phone numbers, email addresses, and other personally identifiable information (PII) be removed from the search engine results.
The new Google privacy policy is aimed at curtailing the activities of malicious entities preying on sensitive information to cause harm to unsuspecting persons. Some of the malicious endeavors such PII could be used for include identity theft, stalking, and possibly financial fraud. Previously, users can ask Google to remove personal data from search results although this was limited to ID numbers, banking information, photos of your signature, and medical records. The safety section in the Google Play Store was another of the security measures put in place by Google.
The current measure, therefore, expands the coverage of privacy-related and personal data that can be shielded from showing up in search results. Apart from physical addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers, users can also prevent access to their login credentials to enhance their protection against hackers. Users can access the Google support page to kickstart the registration of URLs containing their PII that should be restricted from showing in search results. Up to 1,000 websites per user can be logged in for this purpose.
The process of removal will entail scrutiny by Google before it may grant the user’s request. If the request is granted, then Google will remove the URL containing sensitive personal information from all search results. The process is expected to be robust so as not to restrict otherwise public information from search results. In a statement by Google’s Global Policy Lead for Search, Michelle Chang, the need for a dynamic policy for the protection of users was underscored. It stressed that Google will undertake a rigorous mechanism before any request will be granted for removal from search results.
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(source)
