The best way to ensure removal of details for your child is by understanding different policies Google has for removal requests.
Video Tutorial Showing How-to Remove Your Child’s Details from Google Products
Removing Your Child’s Details from Google for Citizens of European Union Country
EU has Right to be Forgotten laws which came in affect few years ago. You can use the form for Personal Data Removal Request Form for EU Citizens.
Select “A family member” for I am acting on behalf of * section (be aware that Google may ask for documentation confirming that you are authorized to represent this person).
Provide Details for Your Legal Relationship to the person on whose behalf this removal request is made. For example: parent, legal guardian.
Removing Your Child’s Details from Google for Non-EU Citizens
Now that you are familiar with Google product policies. Let’s imagine Google web search shows your child’s details (name, photo etc.) and you want Google search to remove this information. Then, request removal using Request personal content removal from Google Search
Simply follow the prompts to submit your removal request.
Here’s What Google is Willing to Remove
- Remove explicit or intimate personal images from Google Search results
- Remove involuntary fake pornography from Google Search results
- Remove pornography irrelevantly connected to me/my name from Google Search results
- Remove personally identifiable information (PII) or doxxing content from Google Search results
- Remove content about me on sites with exploitative removal practices from Google Search results
- Remove images of minors from Google Search results (non-explicit)
Report Content Found On a Specific Google Product
As we’ve said at the beginning of this blog post, being familiar with Terms of Use for a specific Google product will aid successful removal of your child’s details from a particular Google product. This means, it is wise to ensure that you follow a different approach when details of your child is on specific Google product. For example: when a minor’s details are on a particular YouTube video, then, you would need to use YouTube legal policies as your argument.
If the child’s details can be found through Blogger (which is a blog platform owned by Google) then you would simply follow a different approach by selecting the Google product the details can be found at.
Blogger example:
Although trying to understand Google policies according to a particular Google product can seem challenging, it must be done, for successful deletion of personal information from google search engine results.
Remember, regardless of the content type you want removed from Google, simply ensure that you are persistent in your attempt, and do not take “NO for an answer” because privacy is everyone’s birth right.
Tips for Successful Removals
- Always keep a record of your interactions with Google support team (screenshots, emails, date and time the interaction is made).
- Ensure that you are absolutely familiar with Google product policies before you submit your removal request.
- Ensure that you are familiar with privacy laws within your country.
- If you have the resources, then, consider services of a practicing lawyer or legal solicitor.
- If your content removal request is denied, then, you can resubmit another removal request.
Other Resources
- Report child sexual abuse imagery
- eSafety Australia
- Google Family Link
- Report Content for Legal Reasons
- how-to remove results about you from Google
