Googled yourself and found something you don't like? Google has made it easier to remove search results containing info about you

There is a high chance that there is information about you online -- there can be very few people for whom this is not true. While it is hard to avoid having an online presence, having personal information appearing in search results can be disturbing, even dangerous.

This is precisely why Google’s “Results about you” tool exists. Since 2022, it has been possible to request the removal of personal information from search results using this tool. Now a major redesign makes this process even easier, and lets you request the removal of outdated results too.

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Perhaps the biggest change is the fact that the option to request data removal is now accessible directly from search results. This ease of access removes a barrier that previously discouraged people from taking advantage of the privacy option.

But there is also a new hub for “Results about you”, and here you can sign up for proactive monitoring and receive alerts when results about you are detected.

Google says about this latest update:

Our new hub makes signing up easier than ever, and with proactive monitoring, we’ll do the hard work for you -- alerting you if new results are found.

It’s also now easier to request removals directly on Search. When you click on the three dots next to a result, you'll see an updated menu that helps you understand what content is eligible for removal, and lets you submit a removal request in fewer clicks.

The company also says: “In some cases, you might want an outdated search result updated -- like if you’ve had content about yourself removed or edited from a webpage, but Search has yet to reflect the latest changes in results. Now, simply click on the three dots, request a refresh and our systems will recrawl the page and obtain the latest information”.