How to remove personal information from Google searches

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How to remove personal information from Google searches

We've all Googled ourselves at some point. You know, just to see if there is something cool or interesting about you out there. Or to make sure that those college pictures of you in your largest pair of JNCO jeans are gone for good.

Some sensitive private information can get a lot of attention on the internet thanks to a leak or hack. We're talking about your private number or email address, physical address, or even credit card information floating around the internet.

Google GOOG, or GOOGL, offers a way to remove that content from its search engine for good. In the coming months, the company says it will release a tool to make it easier to remove your data. Here is the best way to get the tech giant to clear your private information from its massive search database.

You can get Google to remove your data from your search history.

Since there is no easy way to get your data from Google, the first thing you need to do is navigate to the company's support website at support.google. You can type remove personally identifiable info or doxxing content from Google Search and type Remove in the search box.

On the next page you will be met with a selection of multiple choice questions. To start the content removal process, you have to select Remove information from Google Search under the What do you want to do section. Under the information I want to remove is: section, choose In Google's search results and on a website. If you choose Only in Google's search results, the company will assume that your content isn't on another website and provide you with information about removing old data from Google search results.

If you haven't contacted the owner, Google will provide you with information about how to do so, but won't let you proceed with removing your information from search.

If you chose to contact the owner already or prefer not to, you have to select the data you want removed from Google's search.

You can get rid of your contact information, bank account number, and medical information by removing personal information like ID numbers and private documents under the next question.

After that, fill out the dialog boxes asking for the site's URL, what search terms you used to find it, and a screenshot of the site itself.

Google will review your submission to determine if it should take your information offline. You are out of luck because you're a member of Congress and broke the law. If not, the company will likely remove it.

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Email Daniel Howley at dhowley yahoofinance.com.