Finding information on Google is easy — sometimes too easy.
To address growing privacy concerns, Google has rolled out new tools that allow users to remove sensitive personal data and explicit images from Search results.
Google announced it is enhancing its Search removal tools to give users more control over what appears about them online.
The company says the update makes it simpler to remove sensitive personal information and explicit images that should never have been public.
The new features are available through Google’s “Results About You” hub, which centralizes privacy-related removal requests.
How to remove personal info
The updated Results About You hub now helps users find and remove search results that contain sensitive government-issued identification numbers.
This includes passport numbers, driver’s license numbers, and other official ID details that could be misused if exposed online.
To use the tool, users must sign in to their Google account and select “Results About You.” They can then enter the personal information they want Google to monitor.
Google will proactively scan Search results for matching information and notify users if it detects something.
Once alerted, users can review the search result and request removal directly within the hub.
If someone discovers sensitive information on their own, they can also manually submit a removal request.
Google says it reviews each request and removes results that violate its policies.
Removing explicit images from search
Google is also simplifying the process of removing explicit images, particularly those shared without consent.
Users can now submit requests to remove multiple explicit images at once, rather than filing separate reports for each image.
Once an image is removed, Google will offer an option to proactively filter out similar explicit images from appearing in future Search results.
This step aims to prevent comparable content from resurfacing later.
All removal requests can now be tracked within the Results About You hub.
Users will receive email updates whenever the status of their request changes, making the process more transparent and easier to manage.
Google clarified that removing information from Search does not delete it from the internet entirely. However, limiting its visibility in Search results can significantly improve personal privacy.
Dark Web reports shut down
The update comes as Google discontinues its dark web reports feature.
Previously, this tool alerted users if their name, phone number, or email appeared online in a data breach.
According to Google, those alerts did not always help users take meaningful action — something the new removal tools are designed to improve.
