What The Tech: Can this Google tool keep your online information protected?
By JAMIE TUCKER, Consumer Technology Reporter
You’re out there, no matter how hard you try; anyone Googling your name will find your digital footprint.
“That’s my mom, my wife again, my grandmother.”
Free sites like TruePeopleSearch, FamilyTreeNow, and USPhoneBook, collect public records and post them online. They list family members, phone numbers, addresses, even photos of your house, and every place you’ve ever lived in. All someone has to do is “Google” your name.
This invasion of privacy isn’t illegal. It’s public records. While it can be tough to remove it all,
Google has a free tool that makes it harder to find. From your phone, go to Google.com and tap your account photo, and choose “results about you”.
Enter the personal details you want to protect. Your address, phone numbers, and email.
Google will search for that information and flag where it appears. When matches are found, you can request removal.
The first time you do this, you’ll probably see a dozen sites publishing your information. Google will scrub those results when someone
Googles your name.
You’ll also get emails when your information shows up again so you can request removal right
away.
It’s important to note that Google can’t erase your information from those sites, but it will block
them from search results.
To fully remove it, you’ll need to contact the sites directly. It might take some time, but most sites
will comply if you follow their process.
Scammers don’t need help finding us. Limiting what shows up in search results is one simple
step to protect your privacy.
