Search - Thmdigital.com

April 28, 2022by adminMarketing

Google will now allow users to request removal of search results containing personal information

Google is expanding its appeals process for the removal of search listings that include personal information, with users now able to request search omissions from the search index for web pages that list their address and contact information, among other identifiers potentials.

As explained by Google:

“As part of this new policy extension, users can now request removal of additional types of information when they find it in search results, including personal contact information such as phone number, email address or a physical address. The policy also allows for the removal of additional information that may pose a risk of impersonation, such as confidential login credentials, when it appears in search results.

This could have a range of implications, for a range of sites, with some social networks potentially having to reassess their listings to ensure they comply with these new regulations.

Although they only become enforceable when triggered by an individual, which means there are probably not many updates to implement. But it could see some web pages removed from Google’s index if a case is brought before the search giant asking for action on the matter.

Google has long offered the ability to request censorship of certain search listings, based on certain criteria.

“On Google Search, we have a set of policies that allow people to request removal of certain content from search, with an emphasis on highly personal content that, if public, may cause direct harm to users. people.”

This process was introduced in response to the European “Right to be forgotten” legislation, which was implemented by the EU in 2014, and gives individuals the legal right to ask search engines like Google to list certain results for queries related to a person’s name.

According to Google:

“In deciding what to list, search engines must consider whether the information in question is ‘inaccurate, inadequate, irrelevant or excessive’ and whether there is a public interest in the information remaining available in search results.”

So if there are particularly harmful search results about you, perhaps a past court case or a defamatory message, that could harm your personal or professional status, you can request that it be removed, and Google will evaluate your submission against its entry criteria.

This was further extended in 2018, when the EU implemented the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which includes a section that gives internet users a “right to erasure”, offering greater control over Internet Harmful Lists.

And now it is expanded again:

“When we receive removal requests, we will evaluate all web page content to ensure that we do not limit the availability of other widely useful information, for example in news articles. We will also assess whether the content appears as part of the public record on government or official source sites. In such cases, we will not perform deletions. It’s important to remember that removing content from Google search won’t remove it from the internet, so you can contact the hosting site directly, if you feel comfortable doing so.

This is important – hiding search results does not erase information from the web. Although Google is the largest search engine and a key point of discovery in many cases, people will still be able to find the original information if they search.

This is the latest step in Google’s gradually expanding privacy policies, which also include its measures to phase out tracking cookies, and its most recent update to list how developers track and use cookies. data in Play Store listings.

Google has also recently implemented a New policy which allows people under the age of 18 (or their parents or guardians) to request removal of their images from Google search results.

In combination, Google is giving users far more control over their online information – perhaps not voluntarily, as there is growing pressure from officials (particularly in the EU) to implement more measures. on this front. But its policies are evolving, in line with rising user expectations and broader regulatory trends.

The implications, as noted, remain limited, as few people submit removal requests, but it should be noted that this is now possible and some pages that display many people’s names or information could be affected.

Source link

what it is and how to search to end cookies

Google continues to move towards a world without cookies while maintaining Google Ads as its main source of income. Its first proposal for targeted advertising without cookies, FLoC, has been scrapped due to complaints from other industry players. Instead, he has presented Google Themes, a new solution that promises to be more respectful of user privacy. Let’s see what it is and how it works.

(more…)