Some users leave traces on Google. Using various links, you can even have your digital footprint revealed. But it would be best if Google also deleted the content.
Google has been invading users’ privacy for some time now. Data is collected with every search query or email sent. Nevertheless, the data is needed to further develop such services, because without it, functionality could not be maintained.
For many users, the recording of data leads to a loss of informational control. Users no longer have complete control over how and where their data is stored. It’s therefore important to know how to get Google to delete third-party content.
In principle, a webmaster cannot request the removal of another webmaster’s content from Google search results.
Reasons for removing unwanted content from websites
In most cases, Google does not intervene but leaves it up to the website’s webmasters to reach an agreement and remove the unwanted content. Therefore, if unwanted content needs to be removed, the first step is to contact the webmaster responsible for the content in question. This “peaceful agreement” often helps to remove unwanted content from these websites.
However, there may be specific reasons why Google may directly remove a website’s content. In these specific situations, Google offers to remove problematic content or problematic web pages from search results.
The following reasons are crucial for this:
- The website in question is a spam site
- The webmaster believes that the site is involved in buying or selling links to circumvent/improve Google PageRank.
- If the site in question contains content that violates a copyright ( DMCA Takedown Request )
- If the website in question is suspected of hosting malware (virus, malicious software, phishing, etc.)
- If a website contains personal or private information (text content, image directories, etc.), the removal of such content can be requested using the Google Removal Tool.
Other reasons why Google might remove a website include:
- The owner has modified a page so that the content no longer reflects information about the person in question.
- If the website owner has removed or blocked a page or images to avoid indexing via robots.txt or meta tags.
- If no agreement can be reached with the “opposing website owner” regarding the removal of the content, even though the content contains a) personal ID numbers (passport data, etc.),) bank account or credit card numbers, c) an image of one’s signature, or d) the full name or company name on a website that obviously contains adult content or appears to spam Google search results.
So, while the first step should be to contact the website owner or operator directly, there are ways to delete the relevant content and permanently remove it from search results. Reaching an agreement with the “other party” is almost more important because even removing it from Google’s search results doesn’t remove content that can easily be found via other search engines.
So how can unwanted content be removed from Google search results?
1. Contact the website:
First, you should try to contact the owner of the website where the unwanted content is located. Sometimes, website owners are cooperative and will remove the content upon request.
2. Use the Google Report Form:
Google offers a personal data removal form that can be used to report unwanted content. Visit the Google Legal Requests website and fill out the appropriate form.
3. Legal action:
In some cases, it may be necessary to take legal action. In such cases, you should seek legal advice and possibly engage a lawyer.
4. Data Protection Request:
If the personal information violates data protection regulations, you can submit a data protection request.
For more information, visit Google Support.
How Google stores and assigns its own data
In which advertising category does Google classify users
Google creates a basic profile for each user. This basic profile contains information such as age, gender, and interests. The company uses the user data to display relevant ads and advertising.
Places Google tracks – Google Location History
For Android users, locations are constantly being determined and sent to Google. This feature can be disabled using the device settings.
Google Search History: What are you searching for on the Internet?
Every single search term you enter into Google is saved, as are the Google ads you click. You can view your Google history and delete it if necessary.
Google Activity: How and which devices are used?
By logging in to Google, Google can track how many devices you are using.
Google Permissions: Add-ons that access the Google Account
Google Permissions consists of a list of all extensions that have access to your data. Each of these permissions can be viewed and revoked.
Google Takeout: Downloading your personal data
Google makes all personal data available, which can be copied from the server. This data includes bookmarks, emails, contacts, profile information, YouTube videos, and photos.