You can now request removal of personally-identifiable info from Google Search

Google is updating its policies to help people take more control of their online presence in Search. With the new policy expansion, you can now request the removal of personally identifiable information (PII) that appears in Search.

This includes personal contact information like a phone number, email address, or physical address or content that may pose a risk for identity theft, such as confidential log-in credentials, when it appears in Google Search results.

After you submit the removal request, Google will evaluate all content on the web page. If the request meets the requirements for removal, the provided URLs will be removed for all queries or the URLs will be removed only from search results in which the query includes the complainant’s name, or other provided identifiers, such as aliases.

If your request is denied, you will be notified with a brief explanation.

Google noted that the content removed from Google Search may still exist on the web, meaning someone might still find the content on the page that hosts it, via social media, on other search engines, or in other ways.

"Maximizing access to information while empowering people to be in control of their sensitive, personally identifiable information is a critical balance to strike. We believe these updates are an important step to deliver on that goal and give people the tools they need to protect their safety and privacy online," Google said.