You can tell Google Search to remove your personal IDs and explicit images now - but there's a catch

2026-02-10 · Source: News and Advice on the World's Latest Innovations | ZDNET · Field: Technology & Digital — Cybersecurity & Data Privacy · Depth: Novice, short

Summary

Google has expanded its "Results about you" feature, allowing users to request the removal of government-issued identification, such as passports, driver's licenses, and Social Security numbers, from search results. This functionality is initially rolling out in the US and will expand globally. To use it, individuals must navigate to the "Results about you" hub on the web or in the Google app, provide their personal details, and specify which IDs they want monitored. Google will then notify users if these details appear in search results, enabling them to request removal. Additionally, Google is introducing a new option to request the removal of non-consensual explicit images from search results, which is rolling out in most countries. While removing information from Google's search results significantly limits its discoverability, it does not delete the data from the web entirely.

Key takeaway

For individuals concerned about identity theft or privacy, you can now request Google to remove government-issued IDs and non-consensual explicit images from its search results. While this requires sharing sensitive data with Google, which carries inherent risks, it can be a crucial step if your information is already exposed online. Evaluate the trade-off between increasing data points with Google and mitigating existing public exposure to protect your personal information.

Key insights

Google now allows users to request removal of government IDs and explicit images from search results.

Principles

• Removal from search results does not delete data from the web.
• Sharing sensitive data with third parties increases inherent risk.

Method

Users access the "Results about you" hub, provide personal details (including specific IDs or explicit image links), and Google monitors for and facilitates removal requests from search results.

In practice

• Use "Results about you" to monitor for leaked IDs.
• Request removal of non-consensual explicit images.
• Weigh risk of sharing data vs. risk of exposure.

Topics

• Google Search
• Personal Data Removal
• Identity Protection
• Data Privacy
• Online Security

Best for: General Interest, IT Professional, Security Engineer

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Editorial summary, takeaway, and curation by AIssential. Original article published by News and Advice on the World's Latest Innovations | ZDNET.