Everyone with a phone and a Gmail account should be aware of the new Google policy.

GOOGLE has made an important change to its Search results which will make it easier for the general public to remove personal information including phone numbers, email and home addresses.

If you’re worried about the world knowing too much about your personal life then there’s good news. Google has just announced that it’s making it much easier to delete personal information from its Search results with people able to ask the US technology giant to hide phone numbers and home addresses. Those with an email account – such as Gmail – can also ask for the account name to be erased from view making it much harder for strangers to track it down.

Requesting data removal from Google’s platform isn’t something new; the general public has always been able to have data such as bank account information and credit card numbers erased if they surface via Search.
This is the first time, though, that the Mountain View corporation has made it straightforward to delete additional personal data.

“Under this new policy change, consumers may now request deletions of other sorts of material when they encounter it in Search results, such as personal contact information like a phone number, email address, or physical address,” Google wrote in a blog post.

“The policy also allows for the removal of extra material that may constitute a danger for identity theft, such as secret log-in passwords, from Search results.”
According to Google, the modifications are being implemented in response to user input. There are certainly times when individuals do not want their address and phone number plastered all over the internet, and this is now readily remedied by going to the firm’s own homepage and filling out a “Removal Request” form.

Although this is wonderful news for search results, Google makes it clear that this upgrade will not erase personal data from the internet itself, as it is beyond the company’s control.

“It’s essential to realise that deleting information from Google Search does not remove it off the internet,” Google stated. “If you’re comfortable doing so, you may prefer to contact the hosting site directly.”

Once a request is filed, Google will determine whether it should be removed. “When we get removal requests, we will assess all material on the web page to ensure that we are not limiting the access of other information that is generally beneficial, such as in news items,” the company explained.

“We’ll also look to see if the material is part of the public record on government or official source websites.” We will not perform deletions in such instances.”