As Google’s 2024 antitrust loss proved, the company has worked very, very hard to ensure its search engine is the primary roadmap for the Internet. Google scours the Internet for data about everything—even you. And if you don’t want your personal info to wind up in Google search results, you can use the just-redesigned “Results About You” tool. The tool, which began its rollout in 2022, is easier to use now, and some of the most useful features are now better integrated with search results.
The first step in using Results About You—which has not changed—is a bit alarming when you’ve set out to obscure your personal information. Just head to the new hub for Results About You and enter your personal information. Google probably already knows your phone number, email, and even physical address, but this tells the tool what specific information to pluck out of search results. If that data is out there, Google has it whether or not you remove it from search results.
Before this update, most of the Results About You features were limited to this console, but the most important features are now integrated with the search results. They’re not exactly prominently displayed, though. When scrolling through a Google search (after the AI overview, ads, knowledge graph, and more ads), you can use the three-dot menu next to a result to get data about it. This menu now includes options to remove the result right at the top.
If you request a removal due to the presence of personal information, Google will ask for more details, but that only takes a few seconds. The same interface includes non-personal removal requests—for example, if you’ve spotted illegal content. If you’re requesting a personal data removal, it has to be your data. These requests are logged in the Results About You tool for later review. Importantly, Google can’t remove content from webpages—you’re on your own there.
