The modern age is an age of science. An important gift of science and technology is the internet. We search for different things on the internet. However, searching for anything on the internet has become synonymous with Google search. Google has become so popular that other search engines find it difficult to compete with it. But, nowadays people are growing anxious, since Google stores personal data in its search results. Personal data may include a phone number, email address, or even a physical address. Various cyber experts have seen this as a potential threat to individual privacy. Therefore, for a decade people have been requesting Google to allow Personal Data Removal.
Now finally, the wait is over. Google has recently published its new policies and tools. These will allow users to request for Personal Data Removal, quickly and easily from search results. The company noted in a blog post from April, that earlier this process was difficult. In order to have their personal data removed from Google search results, users had to show evidence of potential harm. But now, you can remove your data from the search results with the simple click of a button. Read the article to know more about the process.
Personal Data Removal Process
Recently Danielle Romain, Google’s vice president of the trust, wrote a blog. In that blog, Danielle stated that people feel safer online when they have control over where their personal data may be found. At present, there is an online form for the submission of a Personal Data Removal request. But on 11th May, the company announced an upcoming tool. This tool will enable the users to submit a removal request with only a few clicks. The users who would find their personal data in the search results may use this tool. This tool will be available “in the coming months”. Click the link below to see the tweet:
Google stated that they want to process all the removal requests quickly. They also said that a combination of algorithmic tools and human monitoring of the request will take the decisions.
On the online form, there is an option “remove select personally identifiable information (PII) or doxxing content from Google Search.” Clicking on this option will make you answer a series of questions. The questions will be about the types of personal data available in the search results. The questions will also ask you about the URL of the websites where your personal data is available. They will also ask you about the search terms that turn up the data on Google search. In fact, you will have options to upload screenshots of websites and search results. You will also be asked whether your personal data have been shared “with doxxing intent”, whether the data includes any explicit content, or whether it needs to be removed for legal reasons.
Does This Guarantee The Personal Data Removal Of Every SIngle Request?
The simple answer to this question will be “No”. There is no guarantee that all requests will be granted removal. If the company finds that your personal data are newsworthy, then they might choose not to remove it from its search results. Any relevant news article containing your information, or if your personal data are up on any government website, Google may not remove them. The company wrote in a blog that after receiving the requests, they will evaluate the contents on the web page. They will do this to ensure that the Personal Data Removal will not limit the availability of broadly useful information.
Can Google Remove The Data From The Internet?
It is important to remember that Google can only remove your personal data from its search results. But it will not be able to remove them from the internet entirely. Therefore Google suggested that you should contact the company associated with the website where your personal data has been published. There you may ask them to remove them.
Summing Up
Privacy has always been a cause of concern to the netizens. Various cyber experts have complained about the exposure of personal data over the internet. In this regard, thousands of requests were made to Google to enable personal data removal from search results. In fact, in 2014 the European Court of Justice ruled that the search engines should allow data removal requests. Now the official tweet from the company suggests that the request will soon be granted. In the next four years, Google received more than 650000 data removal requests. Thus, Google’s latest decision seems to please many.
