How to remove your personal information from Google

Two different things: hiding and deleting

It helps to separate these from the start.

• Removing from Google Search stops a page appearing in Google's results. Google says that even if it removes something from Search, it might still be on the internet, and people can still find it through links, social media or other search engines.
• Removing from the website takes the information off the page itself. Only the site's owner can do that.

For the best result, do both: ask the website to delete it, then ask Google to drop or refresh the result.

What Google will remove

Google's policy lets you ask for removal of search results that show:

• your address, phone number or email address
• confidential government ID numbers, such as tax ID numbers or a resident ID card number
• your bank account or card number
• pictures of your signature or ID
• private records, such as medical records
• confidential usernames and passwords

Google also removes doxxing content: your personal details shared alongside threats against you, or a large amount of your personal information gathered together without a legitimate purpose. Anyone can report nude or sexual images of people under 18.

Google says it may keep a result up if the content is newsworthy or in the public interest. If a removal is approved, the page either disappears from Google entirely or stops appearing for searches that include your name.

How to ask Google

Option 1: the removal request form

This works for everyone.

1. Go to Google's Remove my private info from Google Search help page (linked in Sources below) and select Start removal request.
2. Give the web address (URL) of each page with your information. Google only reviews the URLs you list, so include every one.
3. Add screenshots if asked. Google uses them to find the information on the page.
4. Google emails you to confirm the request and again when it has been reviewed.

Option 2: "Results about you"

Google's Results about you tool looks for search results containing your phone number, home address or email address, lets you request removal, and can email you when new results appear. Google says some of its features are rolling out to users over 18 "in certain markets", and the newer option for government ID numbers launched first in the US in February 2026.

To see whether you have it:

1. Open the Google app, tap your profile picture, then Results about you.
2. Or, on a computer, visit myactivity.google.com/results-about-you while signed in.
3. Enter the details you want Google to look for, then review what it finds and request removal.

You can track each request as In progress, Approved, Denied or Undone. If you don't see the tool, use the removal request form above.

When the page has already changed

If a website has removed your details but Google still shows the old version, you can ask Google to refresh the outdated result.

Ask the website to delete it

This is the step that actually takes the information offline.

1. Find a contact. Google suggests looking for a "Contact us" link or an email address on the site. If there isn't one, a whois lookup of the site's address may show the owner or the hosting company, which you can contact instead.
2. Make your request in writing. Say what information is about you, give the exact page addresses, and ask for it to be deleted.
3. Mention your right to erasure. Under UK data protection law you can ask an organisation to delete your personal data. The ICO says you can ask verbally or in writing, but writing gives you a record.
4. Wait for a reply. The organisation should respond within one calendar month, which can be extended by up to two further months in some cases. It is usually free.

The right to erasure is not absolute. The ICO lists reasons an organisation can refuse, including freedom of expression, journalism and legal obligations. If it refuses or doesn't reply, complain to the organisation first and then to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

If a search engine won't remove a result

The ICO says you can ask search engines to remove results for searches on your name where the result significantly affects your privacy. They don't have to agree, but they must consider it. If you are unhappy with the answer, you can raise a concern with the ICO. Google also has a separate Legal Help Center for requests made under local law.

Online directories and the open register

Many people find their address on online directory sites. One common source is the open register, a version of the electoral register that anyone can buy. The ICO says its users include direct marketing firms and online directory firms.

To opt out:

1. Contact your local electoral registration office (find it on GOV.UK), or tick the opt-out when you register to vote. In Northern Ireland, contact the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland.
2. The ICO says you can ask at any time and your choice carries forward, so you don't need to repeat it each year.

Opting out doesn't affect your right to vote. Credit reference agencies use the full register, not the open one.

Opting out stops your details being passed on in future. It doesn't remove what a directory already holds, so ask each site to delete your listing using the right to erasure steps above.

Tidy up your Google account

What you share through your own Google account is easier to control. Google's Privacy Checkup at myaccount.google.com/privacycheckup walks you through your main privacy settings, including what activity is saved and how ads are personalised.

Our Privacy Check takes you through the rest of your accounts in a few minutes, and our Digital Life Score shows where to start.

Keep your details out of the wrong hands

Scammers use personal details to make messages sound convincing. If you've found your phone number or address online, be extra wary of texts and calls that use them. See how to tell if a text message is a scam, and read how to protect yourself from identity theft if ID or bank details were exposed.

Sources

• Remove my private info from Google Search — Google Search Help (opens in a new tab)
• Find and remove personal info in Google Search results — Google Search Help (opens in a new tab)
• How to remove your government ID numbers from Google Search — Google (opens in a new tab)
• Contact a website owner — Google Search Help (opens in a new tab)
• Take a Privacy Checkup — Google Account Help (opens in a new tab)
• Your right to get your data deleted — Information Commissioner's Office (opens in a new tab)
• Internet search results — Information Commissioner's Office (opens in a new tab)
• Electoral register — Information Commissioner's Office (opens in a new tab)
• Opt out of the open register — GOV.UK (opens in a new tab)

Last checked: 22 September 2026