How to Remove Personal Information from Google Search Results: A Comprehensive Guide

In today's digital world, finding your personal information online—such as your home address, phone number, or email—can feel unsettling. While Google is a powerful tool for information, it can also expose sensitive data that you may prefer to keep private. Thankfully, Google offers a variety of methods to remove certain types of personal information from search results. This guide will walk you through the steps and tools available to scrub your personal information from Google.

What Personal Information Can Be Removed from Google?

Google allows you to request the removal of various types of personal information, including:

Contact details (phone numbers, email addresses, home addresses)
Government-issued ID numbers (e.g., Social Security numbers)
Bank account and credit card details
Images of handwritten signatures or identification documents
Medical records and other highly sensitive official records
Explicit personal images, involuntary fake pornography, and content related to doxing

However, note that removing personal data from Google search results does not delete the information from the internet itself—it only prevents it from appearing in Google searches. You may need to contact the hosting website to have it completely removed.

Step-by-Step Guide to Removing Personal Information from Google

1. Use Google's "Results About You" Tool

Google’s "Results About You" tool is designed to help users identify and remove personal contact information from search results.

How to Use "Results About You":

Log into your Google account.
On desktop or mobile, click your profile picture and select Manage Your Google Account > Data & Privacy > Results About You.
Input your name and the contact details (e.g., phone number, address, email) you want to search for.
Set up notifications to alert you if any new personal info appears in Google search results.
Review any results under the “Results to Review” tab. Select the results you want to remove and click Request to Remove.

You can track your request's status in the "Results About You" dashboard. Google will send an email once a decision is made.

2. Remove Specific Search Results via Google Search

If you find personal information in a specific search result, Google allows you to request removal directly from the search page.

How to Remove Results from Google Search:

Search for your name in Google along with key information like your city or address.
Click on the three dots next to the search result containing your personal information.
Select Remove Result and choose the reason (e.g., "It shows my personal contact info").
Follow the prompts to confirm the details and submit your request.
Google will review the request and send you an email confirmation. You can check the status of the removal request in your Google account.

3. Submit a Detailed Removal Request

If you have a broader removal need (e.g., multiple URLs or doxing concerns), you can submit a detailed removal request through Google's Personal Information Removal Form.

Steps to Submit a Detailed Request:

Go to the removal form: Search for "Google remove personal information" or visit Google's support page.
Choose the type of data you want removed (e.g., personal contact info, government ID numbers, doxing).
Provide the URLs where your personal data appears, up to 1,000 at a time.
Attach screenshots of the web pages showing your information, and specify search terms that lead to those results.
Enter your full name, email address, and country of residence, then submit the request.

4. Use the "Remove This Result" Feature

If you want to quickly remove specific search results, especially those containing your contact info, you can use the "Remove This Result" function directly from Google Search.

How to Use "Remove This Result":

Search for your name on Google.
Next to the result, click on the three vertical dots and select Remove Result.
Choose the reason for removal, such as “It shows my personal contact info.”
Confirm your request by entering the relevant contact info (e.g., phone number, email) and submit.

Google will review the request and notify you via email regarding its decision. You can track the status of your requests through your Google account.

5. Remove Information from Data Broker Sites

Many of the search results about you may come from data brokers that compile and sell your information. Removing your personal data from these platforms can significantly reduce its availability on the internet.

How to Remove Data from Data Brokers:

Visit the websites of major data brokers (e.g., Whitepages, Spokeo, PeopleFinder) and opt out of their databases. For more detailed instructions follow our guide How to Remove Your Personal Data from Data Brokers.
Alternatively, use services that automate the data removal process for you by sending opt-out requests to hundreds of data brokers.

6. Remove Personal Information from Social Media

Your social media accounts are a major source of personal information that can appear in Google search results.

Options for Protecting Your Social Media Data:

Delete your social media profiles: If you delete your account, it will eventually disappear from Google search results.
Make your profiles private: Change the privacy settings of your social media accounts so only friends or followers can view your posts.
Remove personal information: Edit your profile to remove any personal details like your phone number, email address, or home address.

For moe detailed instructions, check out these guidelines:

Bonus: Leverage Your Right to Be Forgotten (EU Only)

In the European Union, you have the legal right to request that search engines like Google delete specific results about you. This is called the Right to Be Forgotten under the GDPR.

How to Submit a Right to Be Forgotten Request:

Go to Google’s Right to Be Forgotten form.
Fill out your name, the URLs containing personal information, and explain why the information should be removed.
Google will evaluate the request based on factors like public interest and privacy concerns.

Limitations of Removing Information from Google

Not all content is eligible for removal. Public records, government documents, and other content considered to be of public interest will not be removed.
The content remains online: Even if Google removes your information from search results, the original website still retains the data, and it may appear on other search engines.
Some requests may be denied: Google evaluates each removal request individually and may deny it based on their criteria.

Final Tips for Maintaining Privacy

Regularly search for your name to monitor what personal information appears online.
Set up Google Alerts to notify you when new search results containing your personal info appear.
Stay vigilant and review privacy settings on social media and other platforms to limit exposure.

By following these steps, you can take control of your digital footprint and protect your personal information from being easily accessible through Google Search.