Google is the most well-known search engine, and just about everyone uses it to find the information that they are searching for on the internet. So, it should come without a shock that many people will turn to Google when they’re trying to look up information about others, such as their background, addresses, phone numbers, relatives, and more. But what you might find shocking is how easy it can be for even complete strangers to find so much information about you quickly and easily with a simple search of your name on Google!
What can you do? Well, you can work on protecting your privacy by removing your personal information from Google. And, to help you get started, we have compiled some helpful tips below on how you can do it.
First, Head to Google
Google itself has a website with instructions on how to remove your personal information from the search engine. But they do warn that the information that shows up about you in results is based on the information that’s out there on various websites across the world wide web. Therefore, even if you request that Google remove certain content, it might still be online, so people might still find it by using alternative methods.
There are certain instances in which you can let Google know that you want them to remove your information. For instance, Google will help you remove certain content if there are legal reasons to do so. Also, Google might help you get rid of personal details that would put you at risk of harm or identity theft.
Contact Website Administrators
If you come across a website that is hosting your personal information, it is a good idea to contact them to tell them that you want your information taken down. This is the best way to ensure that it will be totally removed, preventing any search engine, including Google, from being able to see and share that information in search engine results.
Get Your Information Removed from People Search Websites
There are quite a few people search websites out there, and they can contain a lot of information about you that is quite personal. For instance, some will even make it easy for people to perform a quick background check on you to look for criminal records, property ownership records, and more. In other words, these websites can display more than just your contact details.
If the idea of having your information displayed on a bunch of people search websites makes you uneasy, you aren’t alone. But there is something you can do about it: contact them to learn how you can opt out, or just search for instructions online. For instance, you might type in BeenVerified opt out in Google to access instructions on how to do it.
You can also visit a website directly to search for the removal steps. For example, if you go to Whitepages, just look for the Whitepages opt out page to start the process of having your personal info removed.
Want to be sure you don’t miss any of these databases? Then perform a Google search using your full name to see which websites have your information on display. You might, for example, also need to look up Intelius opt out steps.
Sure, it takes time to have your personal information removed from Google, but it’ll be worth it if privacy is a concern.