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Good news: You can now request pictures of minors be removed from Google search
Google is undoubtedly the biggest search engine on the planet. If you can’t find it on Google, it probably doesn’t exist. Its far-reaching search capabilities can create a bit of a problem, especially if you don’t want to be found. Tap or click here for five buried Google settings other than privacy to save time.
It’s not easy to remove yourself from Google search results, but there are a few avenues available. The most common course of action is to file the removal of personal information with Google. That’s only for personal information, however, as Google can’t remove photos of you in results.
But the request could be more pertinent if the photos in question belong to a minor. It is for that reason that Google has set up a new way to request removals.
Here’s the backstory
Taking more responsibility to safeguard minors on the internet, Google has made it easier for you to request the removal of photos. Under normal circumstances, a photo can only be removed from the results page if you ask the website owner to remove it.
But now, by following a few simple steps, anybody under the age of 18 or their parent/guardian can request the removal of their images from search results. It is important to note that the removal of images from search results doesn’t remove them from the internet.
They will no longer be visible on the search results page or thumbnails, but the original photos will still be on whatever site is hosting them. In essence, a request to Google will only remove the result, not the image.
“We believe this change will help give young people more control over their digital footprint and where their images can be found on Search,” Google explained in a blog post.
How to remove images from Search
Google said that if you’re under 18 and there’s an image of yourself that you want to be removed from search results, you or your parents can request that it be removed. Here are the steps to follow:
- Visit the help page for this new policy to understand the information you’ll need to provide.
- Start your removal request using the form at this support link.
- Fill out the form to report the image that you want removed.
There are a few things that you’ll need to include in the removal request:
- URLs of any images that you want removed.
- URLs of any search results pages that contain the images.
- Search query terms that surface the images.
Once the request has been filed with Google, a team will review the application. They will get back to you once a decision has been reached or the images have been removed.
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Tags: digital footprint, Google, Google Chrome, Google Search, Images, internet, removal request, search engine, search results
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