For several years, Google has agreed to remove from its search results certain sensitive data, such as bank account numbers, credit card numbers, or any document coming from a doxing attack.
For several months, the search engine has also allowed people under 18 (or a parent/guardian) to request the removal of their images from Google search results.
In a blog post on 27 April 2022, Michelle Chang, Google’s Global Head of ‘Search‘ policy, announced an extension of the scope of personal data that an Internet user can have removed from search results.
It now covers any information that could pose a risk of identity theft or harassment. This includes email addresses, telephone numbers, postal addresses, or login details.
“When we receive removal requests, we evaluate the entire content of the webpage to ensure that we are not limiting the availability of other information that is widely useful, for example in news articles”, says Michelle Chang.
