Last Updated on February 11, 2021 by Bright Past
Let’s say you want to remove your personal information from Google or maybe, you’re worried about identity theft? There’s also a chance that you don’t feel comfortable with the fact, a stranger could type your name on a keyboard and learn basically everything about you. Either way, you’re ready to move on and get off the grid. Google is the most widely used search engine throughout the world, removing any hits related to you would help; however, before you get into removing URLs, you need to understand how Google works.
What Does it Mean to Remove my Personal Information From Google?
Google is a web aggregator, indexing billions of web pages every day. Getting your personal information off of Google’s Search Engine Result Pages (SERP’s) doesn’t mean the source content is erased – it just means you can no longer search for it using Google. If you’re looking to get yourself off of the Internet altogether, you can delete all your social media accounts.
Getting Your Social Media Posts – Off of Google
You should change the privacy settings of your account from “Public” to “Private.” To remove information on Google, another vital step you should take is removing your account from public search. Sites such as Facebook have the option to deselect the “Enable Public Search” option; therefore, you can check if the rest of your social media accounts do the same.
Get a Site Owner to Remove any Content Associated With You
In order to do this, you need to reach out to them individually. It’s a hassle, but it must be done. A site owner is not required under law to remove content if you ask them, so if they decide to remove it, it’s your lucky day. Once the content has been removed, you can access Google’s public removal tool and enter the relevant URL. This doesn’t remove the URL. Instead, it resets Google’s cache. If you don’t do this, it’s still possible to search your name and have the URL appear under search even after the owner has removed any content associated with you.
If a site owner doesn’t want to remove your information, you can submit a legal request to Google. However, there is no guarantee that this will go through. If your information is deemed sensitive, like a bank account number, Google will probably remove it. Otherwise, don’t bank on it.
In addition to this, a number of data brokers such as WhitePages and PeopleFinder, collect your personal data and store it in their databases to sell to companies and advertisers. If you want to deal with them, you’ll need to submit a request individually and fill in the actual paperwork, which can be very tedious. Instead, you should consider using professional reputation statistics services that will deal with such cases for you.
Can You Remove Negative Comments Written About Yourself That Can be Found on Google?
No. These comments and reviews are posted by real people, out of the website’s purview. If you want to make them less visible, you can contact professional companies. They will bury the reviews by pushing them from the first page or top few results to the second or third page. As most people don’t bother clicking beyond the first page, your reputation will stay golden.
Can You Legally Remove Yourself From the Internet?
If your reputation has been tarnished and you’re living in the EU, you can request the “Right To Be Forgotten” if a heinous crime is committed against you using your personal information. Otherwise, though you might be able to successfully remove most traces of yourself from the Google Search Engine, someone can always find you through other means.
Why Choose BrightPast?
BrightPast is a company that cares about everyone – from the little guy to the big companies. It’s a reputable firm that has worked with many influential people, including politicians. If you want a promising future and need to make your past bright again, BrightPast can help you with that. For affordable prices and squeaky clean SERPs, BrightPast is the company of the future that removes the dark past.