Google's Personal Data Removal Tool Now Covers Government IDs (blog.google)
(Tuesday February 10, 2026 @05:45PM (msmash)
from the out-of-search-out-of-mind dept.)
- Reference: 0180766786
- News link: https://tech.slashdot.org/story/26/02/10/1828251/googles-personal-data-removal-tool-now-covers-government-ids
- Source link: https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/products/search/remove-explicit-images/
Google on Tuesday expanded its "Results about you" tool to let users [1]request the removal of Search results containing government-issued ID numbers -- including driver's licenses, passports and Social Security numbers -- adding to the tool's existing ability to flag results that surface phone numbers, email addresses, and home addresses.
The update, announced on Safer Internet Day, is rolling out in the U.S. over the coming days. Google also streamlined its process for reporting non-consensual explicit images on Search, allowing users to select and submit removal requests for multiple images at once rather than reporting them individually.
[1] https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/products/search/remove-explicit-images/
The update, announced on Safer Internet Day, is rolling out in the U.S. over the coming days. Google also streamlined its process for reporting non-consensual explicit images on Search, allowing users to select and submit removal requests for multiple images at once rather than reporting them individually.
[1] https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/products/search/remove-explicit-images/
Backups? (Score:2)
by bill_mcgonigle ( 4333 ) *
How does Big Tech handle backups with data deletion requests?
I've set up backup systems for enterprises in the past where we had a hard requirement of restoring state back to seven years.
"Station wagons full of magtapes", and such.
I would presume a subpoena would require such retrieval. I can imagine a few cryptographic systems to make that difficult by mixing it with production but that would require extraordinary effort and commitment to privacy, which I would never expect of pretty much any corporation.
D
Oh sure (Score:2)
by awwshit ( 6214476 )
Give Google all of my data, so they can 'remove' it for me.
Give Palantir my photo, so they can remove it for me.
You can feel the protection.
It's Today (Score:2)
To those who don't know, Safer Internet Day is today, February 10th, 2026... according to Google.
Re: (Score:2)
I won't believe you unless you show me your valid photo id. Oh and your credit card number. /s