A digital footprint is the trail of personal information that appears on the Internet about users. Sometimes it's content we ourselves provide, and sometimes it's posts others have uploaded that affect us. Whatever the reason your data is online, it poses a security and privacy issue. With the goal of protecting Internet users, Google has made it easier to remove search results that reference you from its search engine.
Google recently redesigned its "Results About You" tool. This feature allows Google account users to have greater control over the personal information that appears in its search engine. Thanks to the implemented changes, it's now easier to find out what other people might know about you if they search for you online and to remove it if you don't like what you see.
Now, this Google system allows you to enter your information (full name, phone number, address, and email address). If the company detects this information circulating in its search engine, it will send you an email alert. This way, it will be easier to detect data leaks and request their removal. You won't need to include links to your personal information, as it will all be compiled by the company itself in one place.
Additionally, you can click "I want to request an update" to have Google's systems re-crawl the pages where they found your data. This way, you can check whether your information has been deleted or is still present.
How to use Google Results About You
The "Results about you" page is in English, so search for it in Google and go to the first page that appears. Once there, don't worry, as the website will be automatically translated into Spanish using Google Translate. Scroll down to the "Results found" section and fill in the requested information. This way, the company can search your information online and notify you if it finds anything.
In addition to an email address, you'll also be able to see if your personal information is visible on Google under "Results about you". If you don't want it visible to everyone on the internet, you can request its removal by clicking "Remove result", and the technology company will take care of it.
This option only analyzes results related to your contact information. If you want to remove other types of content, you'll need to use other tools. The search engine has forms to remove search results for explicit or intimate personal images, fake non-consensual explicit images, irrelevant sexual content associated with my name, personally identifiable information or doxxing content, content about me on sites where abusive practices are carried out, images of minors (non-explicit), or child sexual abuse material (explicit).
What happens to data shared with Google?
As we've already mentioned, for Google to search for our data circulating on the internet, we must provide it. This raises concerns among users about how companies use our private information. But the brand assures us that your data won't fall into the wrong hands; instead, it's used to help them do their job.
"Google uses the contact information you provide to verify that it matches the information shown on a search result's web page", the American company reassures on the results page about you. "It is not shared or used to personalize your experience on other Google products".