Picture it: your home, last night—a buttery chardonnay in hand and a need for reassurance. So, in a moment of gentle vanity, you decide to Google yourself.

You type in your name, press enter, and the search engine reveals about 14 million results. Immediately, you think you’re an influencer—lol, delusional. So, automatically, you take a screenshot, circle the number of results, and post it to the socials. But you remind yourself to calm down (humility plays a part in your persona, no matter how small). So, you check out the results.

The first few results list your social media profiles. Much expected. But then you notice a site—at number five in the search results—that reveals your name, mobile number, email address, and location. You exclaim: “WTF”. The revelation makes you feel exposed; like the paparazzi are invading your privacy. So, you wonder, “How can I remove my personal data from Google’s search results?”

How to ask Google to remove my personal data

Simply click on the link.

What data will Google remove?

  • Confidential government identification (ID) numbers
  • Bank account numbers
  • Credit card numbers
  • Images of handwritten signatures
  • Images of ID docs
  • Highly personal, restricted, and official records, e.g., medical records
  • Personal contact info (physical addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses)
  • Confidential login credentials
  • Professional contact info in the context of doxxing

What happens after I submit the removal request

  1. Email confirmation. This confirms Google received your request.
  2. Review the request. Google will evaluate your request based on its criteria. It’ll also evaluate the content for the public interest.
  3. Info gathering. If the request doesn’t contain enough information for Google to evaluate whether it should remove the data or not, it’ll share specific instructions with you and ask you to resubmit the request.
  4. Notification of action taken.
    • If Google finds the URLs are within the scope of its policies, it’ll either:
      • remove URLs for all queries; or
      • remove only the URLs from search results that include your name, or other provided identifiers, such as aliases.
    • If your request doesn’t meet Google’s requirements for removal, it’ll include a brief explanation. If your request is denied and later you have additional materials to support your case, you can resubmit your request.

Can I submit a request on someone else’s behalf?

You or your authorised representative can submit a request to remove links to the content from Google Search results. In the request, your authorised representative must explain how they have the authority to represent you.

Can Google deny my request?

Yes. The company can decide not to remove your personal data from its search results if the information is newsworthy or it’s located on a government website or another official source.