Google has recently expanded its search privacy tools, allowing users to remove sensitive personal information and nonconsensual explicit images from search results. The company’s ‘results about you’ feature now enables users to request the removal of their driver’s license, passport, Social Security number, phone number, and address from search listings.
Users can input their personal details into the tool to view search results containing that data and then submit removal requests. Google assures the protection of this information through advanced encryption. Additionally, users can opt to receive notifications for new search results featuring their personal data, although the tool does not erase the information from the web entirely. The update will first roll out in the US before expanding to other regions.
Google is also enhancing its efforts to combat the dissemination of nonconsensual explicit images in search results. Users can now request the removal of such images by selecting the respective option in the tool. The updated feature facilitates the removal of multiple images simultaneously and allows users to activate filters to proactively screen out similar explicit content in the future. This enhancement will soon be available in various countries globally.
Source: The Verge