Google Search makes it easier to delete private data

The company announces significantly expanded user deletion rights for private and sensitive data in the search results for its search engine Google Search.

Maintaining privacy in Google Search just got easier. A few days ago, Google announced that it would make it easier for users to at least have their private, sensitive data removed from Google searches. Addresses, telephone numbers or photos of ID cards should now be much easier to delete. At least from Google Search results.

Google Search: Have you ever googled your own name?

Anyone who has dared to enter their own name into Google search may have been shocked by what can be found online about themselves. Photos in particular can range from amusing to career-damaging when they are conjured up on the screen of an interested searcher after entering a name. Anyone who then tried to take this information off the internet again regularly encountered two problems.

The operator of the website that carried the information into the world had to be found, successfully contacted and convinced of the deletion request. And in the not rare case that this attempt failed for a variety of reasons, the aim was to at least convince the search engines that this information would no longer be displayed as a hit in a name search.

At least when it comes to search, the market leader Google Search has now launched a solution that promises a significant improvement on the previous situation.

Previous regulation

Until now, Google only suppressed sensitive information in search results if this personal, sensitive data was deliberately misused and the people concerned were harmed as a result. For example, the Internet phenomenon of dox(x)ing, (derived from documents), the systematic collection and publication of a person's private data online in order to harm them. ( HERE ). Information such as credit card numbers and bank details have already been removed. Requirement: It was proven that the data had been misused fraudulently.

So the principle was: The child must first fall into the well before we put a lid on the well.

That should change now. Instead of reaction, now prevention.

New regulation

In a blog publication from April 27th, Google describes the new philosophy of Google Search as follows:

Privacy and online safety go hand in hand.

And when you're using the internet, it's important to have control over how your sensitive, personally identifiable information can be found.Data protection and online security go hand in hand. And when you use the Internet, it is important that you have control over how your sensitive, personally identifiable information can be found.

(HERE)

Now the Google Search user should have the freedom to decide which of their private, sensitive information appears in the Google search. The new principle therefore has a preventive effect before something happens. It remains to be seen whether this will actually be implemented so fully and bring about an actual change in the visibility of sensitive data.

Specifically, Google says:
Under this new policy expansion, people can now request removals of additional types of information when they find it in search results, including personal contact information like a phone number, email address, or physical address.

The policy also allows for the removal of additional information that may pose a risk for identity theft, such as confidential log-in credentials, when it appears in Search results. As part of this new policy enhancement, users can now request removal of additional information when they find it in search results, including personal contact information such as phone numbers, email addresses, or street addresses. The policy also allows for the removal of additional information that may pose a risk of identity theft, such as: B. sensitive credentials when they appear in search results. ( HERE )

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

When Google Search receives a removal request, it plans to review all content on the website in question. This is to ensure that the availability of other information that is useful to the general public, such as news articles, is not restricted. It is also checked whether the content appears as part of public information on the websites of government or official bodies. Then no removal would be made. This is an exception; the requested deletion is not guaranteed.

Google expressly emphasizes the difficulty of balancing free access to information and users' right to protect their sensitive data. ( HERE ) This may be exactly the sticking point that needs to be closely monitored in the future.

What exactly is being removed?

According to Google, information such as confidential login details, images of ID documents or home addresses, email addresses and telephone numbers can now be removed via application.

The full list of content to remove from Google search results looks like this ( HERE ):

How exactly do I have to proceed?

To request removal of sensitive data, please visit the Google Support page ( HERE ). At the bottom you can change the language setting from English to almost any language.

By clicking on the edit icon, the small pencil, the possible answers expand. Then the form looks like this:

The form is self-explanatory and additional help texts are offered. Of course, Google will first recommend contacting the operator of the site that published the critical information. If you have already done this in vain or have no way of reaching them, simply decline, continue filling out the form and send it to Google. There is no information yet about the length of time it takes to process such an application.

Conclusion

Google Search is expanding its guidelines to include the possibility of having other personal, sensitive data removed from the search results in addition to the previously deleted information such as misused personal data, without misuse, fraud or similar having already taken place. This also applies to addresses, telephone numbers, images or login or credit card details and other things. This is a significant strengthening of user rights, as they can now also have data deleted preventively.

However, Google has also left a back door open and formulated exceptions that may be a matter of interpretation in the respective situation. The requested deletion is not guaranteed. It remains to be seen how much the new regulation will actually protect Google users in the future.

Also important, it's just about deletion from Google Search results. Data deleted by Google from its own search results is still available on the originally published websites, but can no longer be found, at least via Google. However, if you really want to misuse it, you could find your private data without using the search engine market leader.

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Source: futurezone