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[technowledge]

New Google alert will tell you when you appear in search, help remove personal information

Want to know if your information is popping up on Google? It will alert you.

The company is rolling out a new dashboard to alerts users when their personal information appears online, or when a new search result appears, giving users the chance to remove personal information immediately.

The dashboard, which Google said will launch in a few days, is an improvement on the "Results about you" tool the company rolled out last year to help users stay on top of their information and remove results containing their personal email address, home address, phone number, directly from the search results page.

Removing a Google result will not wipe it from the internet and the tool is only available in the U.S. in English only for now.

How do I remove personal information from Google?

In the Google search results, if your personal information like email address, home address, or phone number appear in a link, click the three vertical dots next to the result, and select "Remove result."

You can also remove results that show incorrect contact information or are likely copyright infringement, by answering questions on a detailed removal request form.

Users can monitor the removal request status in the Google app, the browser, or in the "Results about you" page that shows whether the request is in progress, approved, denied or undone.

Google users can also initiate a removal request of personal identifiable information that could lead to doxxing, such as a Social Security number, bank account numbers, images of identification documents, medical records, images of handwritten signatures, and confidential login credentials.

Users can ask to remove explicit imagery

Google's newest policy allows users to ask that their personal, explicit images no longer show up in the Google search results. Users can also request the search removal if it’s being published on a different website without approval. The policy doesn't apply to content the user is already commercializing.

Earlier this year, the company announced the SafeSearch setting which operates by default for users under 18, and blurs explicit imagery, such as adult or graphic violent content when it appears in the Google search results. It will roll out globally this month, and can be turned off at any time, unless the setting is locked by a guardian or school network administrator.