Privacy is one of the most important aspects when we browse the Internet. In many cases our personal data may be compromised. We even see that when doing a search for our name or ID, many results appear on Google. Now we will be able to receive an alert about it. In a few months Google will notify us if there is personal information in searches . The idea is that users can send a request to remove those results.
Google will say if personal data comes out in searches
Surely you have ever had the curiosity to put your name and surnames into Google to see what comes up. It is possible that you have seen pages that you did not even know had your data. Perhaps you participated in a public call, in something related to the university or simply because you put your data on a page. All that can appear in search engines and anyone could see it.
Google’s idea is to notify users of this . It is something that they are going to implement in the next few months and it will be available in early 2023. It will tell us if our personal information appears in searches. For example, we can see if our phone number, email, home address, etc. appears.
This new tool will be available to everyone and has just been announced by Google. Although this tool to see personal results in searches is already being implemented and allows a user to send a request to delete results where personal data appears, the idea is also to report it directly.
From the company they indicate that it is something that can be configured . That is, maybe there is someone who is interested in having their personal data on Google. For example someone with public recognition, a businessman, etc. Users can configure to receive or not receive these alerts.
Content is not removed
You should keep in mind that even if you send a request to Google in case personal data appears, the content is not removed. That is, if it is, for example, a web page where your email address or telephone number appears, Google cannot delete that content; the website will continue to exist. Yes it will remove the search results from appearing.
What can we do at the user level to prevent our data from leaking into the network? Something essential is to avoid giving more information than necessary. Do not share personal information such as address, email or phone number through social networks. Also, do not make this information public in open forums or in comments on web pages.
In many cases, personal data is leaked due to user error. Simply by posting content that we shouldn’t, that information can end up in the wrong hands. It is important to avoid making mistakes and always maintain privacy, in addition to having computer equipment protected.
Keep in mind that even file metadata affects privacy. It is important to always maintain common sense and be careful what we upload to the network, as it could contain personal information.
