The internet can be a nasty place, especially when people share private or explicit photos without permission. While Google can’t stop people from uploading these images to the web, they are finally making it much easier for you to scrub them from search results.
The new system is pretty simple to use. If you find a photo of yourself that shouldn’t be public, you just click the three dots in the corner of the image. A menu will pop up where you can select “remove result.” From there, you can tell Google exactly why it needs to go—whether it’s a sexual image of you, a photo of a minor, or a leak of your personal contact info. Google even asks if the picture is a real photo or an AI-generated deepfake. If you find a whole batch of bad images, you can now report them all at once instead of doing them one by one.
As soon as you send the request, Google provides links to legal help and emotional support groups. You can also turn on a filter that hides similar images from your own search results. It’s important to remember, though, that these filters mostly protect you; other people might still see the images until Google officially approves your removal request.
Google is also expanding its “Results about you” tool. This dashboard helps you keep an eye on your sensitive data. To make it work, you have to give Google your contact info and government ID numbers, like your Social Security or passport details. It might feel strange giving them even more data, but it allows Google to scan the web and alert you if your private documents leak. If something pops up, the tool gives you a clear way to ask for its removal.
This new approach replaces the old “dark web reports.” Google found that just telling someone their data was leaked didn’t help much because people didn’t know how to fix it. These new tools aim to give you the power to actually do something about your privacy. Most users in the U.S. will see these changes roll out over the next few days.
