Like all search engines, Google’s search results contain information that is publicly available on the Internet. Google cannot remove content directly from the Internet. While it’s possible to remove content from display in Google’s search results, this would still leave the original content as it exists on the Internet.
If you want to remove something from the Internet, you should first try to contact the webmaster of the website and ask him or her to remove it. After the content has been removed and Google’s search engine has scanned the page again, the information will no longer appear in Google’s search results.
However, if you find a page in Google search results that lists personal information such as your Social Security number or credit card number, you can let Google know here. Google will get in touch with the site’s hosting company to request that the page be taken down from the web and will also remove the information from their search results.
If you have contacted a website owner and you have been unable to work directly with them, you can contact Google if the following appears on a website:
- Your Social Security or government ID number
- Your bank account or credit card number
- An image of your handwritten signature
- Your first and last name or the name of your business appearing on an adult content site that’s spamming Google’s search results