Google announced at I/O 2022 a new tool to streamline the process of removing search results that contain personally identifiable information (PII) and other contact data that should not be exposed to the public. Four months later, the company has begun to deploy this tool, which, apart from allowing people to protect themselves, is possibly a response to comply with legislation such as the right to be forgotten.
Starting today, although it may not have reached everyone yet, users can open the Google app on Android and tap on your own avatar, placed in the upper right corner, to display a new menu item called “Results about you”which is still in beta phase.
After following the “Results About You” process, the user will be guided through a series of steps that will display the related search results and will be allowed to request removal those you do not want to be public in order to better protect your personal information. Obviously, the user will have at his disposal a list with all his requests with filters of “in progress” and “approved”, in addition to the fact that the same page will allow him to make a request following the steps as a tutorial.
Among the reasons that can be indicated for the removal of a search result are the display of personal contact information, the exposure of personal contact data as an attempt to harm, the exposure of other personal data, illegal information and that the information is outdated.
Unfortunately, The Internet and the World Wide Web have been designed more to facilitate the transmission of data and information than to protect privacy.. This means that, even being very careful with what is entered in the forms, one can ultimately find their personal data exposed on the Internet and even within the reach of a simple search. The origin of this exposure could not be the user himself, but a third party that has been careless or has acted maliciously, to which are added the already common data breaches.
Removing personal data from Google and other search engine results is not a panacea, but that barrier is better than having nothing to protect yourself with.
