You can ask Google to remove search results that show your phone number, home address, email, or government ID numbers, and in 2026 Google will also watch for new matches on your behalf. The fastest route is the Results about you tool, which you reach from the Google app or at goo.gle/resultsaboutyou. It does one thing well: it hides a page from Google Search. It does not delete the page itself, so the information stays on the website that published it and may still appear in other search engines.
This guide walks through the Google tools step by step, explains what Google will and will not remove, and covers the second half of the job, which is getting the data out at its source. For California residents, that now includes a state system that sends one deletion request to every registered data broker.
What Google Will Remove, and What It Will Not
Google’s support page lists the kinds of personal information it can remove from Search results. They include contact details such as a phone number, home address, or email address, government ID numbers, bank account and credit card numbers, images of IDs or signatures, medical records, and login credentials.
The limits matter as much as the list. Google says it may decline when the information is newsworthy or relevant to the public interest, or when the page is part of the legal record. Removing a result from Search also does not remove it from the source website. Google may also use “partial removal,” which stops a page from showing for searches of your name but leaves it visible for other queries. Other search engines can still show the page until the source changes.
Method 1: Google’s Results About You Tool
Google’s Results about you is the most direct option for most people. It lets you see which search results include your contact information and request removal of those results.
Step 1: Open the Tool
Open the Google app on your phone, tap your profile picture, and choose Results about you. You can also go to goo.gle/resultsaboutyou in a browser while signed in to your Google account.
Step 2: Add the Details You Want Monitored
Enter the contact information you want Google to look for, such as your name, home address, phone number, and email address. Google uses these details to scan for matching results.
Step 3: Review the Matches
Google shows results that appear to contain your information. Open each one to see where the match is.
Step 4: Request Removal
Select the result and choose to request removal. Google asks for a reason and then sends you email updates on the status of the request. It also notifies you when it finds new matches, so you do not need to keep searching your own name.
What Changed in February 2026
9to5Google reported on February 10, 2026 that Google expanded the tool to monitor for government ID numbers, including Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, and passport numbers, starting in the United States. You enter the numbers you want checked, and Google alerts you if they appear in search results. Google’s announcement said the feature would reach more countries later, so availability outside the US may differ.
Method 2: Submit a Removal Request for a Specific Page
If you already know the URL of the page that exposes your information, you can file a request directly through Google’s personal information removal form. Google’s support page says you will be asked to provide the URLs of the pages and screenshots that show the information, and to identify which search queries surface them. The more specific you are, the easier the review.
Keep a record of each request. Google may ask follow-up questions, and a rejected request can be resubmitted with better evidence. If a page contains several kinds of sensitive information, list each one.
Method 3: Explicit or Non-Consensual Images
Google runs a separate process for non-consensual explicit images. In Google Images, you can use the overflow menu on a result to start a removal request, and the tool supports submitting multiple images at once. Google also offers a filter that helps prevent similar results from appearing in future searches. This path has its own rules, so use the dedicated form instead of the general personal information request.
Fix the Source, Not Just the Search Result
Removing a result from Google leaves the original page in place. If you want the data gone for good, the site that published it has to delete it or change it.
Contact the Website Owner
Start with the site’s contact page or privacy page, and ask for removal of the specific page. Give the exact URL and explain what information should come down. Many sites respond to a short, polite message, especially when the content includes private identifiers.
Opt Out of People Search Sites and Data Brokers
Data brokers collect names, addresses, phone numbers, and relatives from public records and commercial sources, and many publish them on people search sites. Each broker has its own opt-out form, and brokers can republish your data later. That makes opting out tedious, which is why the California system below matters for anyone who lives there.
California Residents: The DROP System
The California Privacy Protection Agency’s Delete Request and Opt-out Platform, known as DROP, lets California residents submit a single deletion request to every registered data broker. According to privacy.ca.gov, the platform launched on January 1, 2026. Brokers were required to start processing requests on August 1, 2026, and must delete matching records within 45 days.
The state reports more than 600 registered data brokers and more than 325,000 consumer requests. Signing up takes under 10 minutes at privacy.ca.gov/DROP. You receive an eight-digit DROP ID and can check your request status. The status labels include Record Deleted, Exempted, Opted Out of Sale, Not Found, and Pending. The state says it can take up to 90 days for a status to appear.
Some records are exempt from deletion, such as information covered by certain legal exceptions, so DROP will not erase everything. It also applies only to registered brokers and to California residents. If you live elsewhere, you still need to use each broker’s individual opt-out process.
Why It Matters: Scam and Fraud Context
Personal information in search results is useful to scammers who impersonate banks and agencies. The Federal Trade Commission reported on June 15, 2026 that consumers lost about $16 billion to fraud in 2025, including $3.5 billion to imposter scams. The FTC did not say that search results caused those losses, and this guide does not claim they did. The numbers do show that identity and contact details are the raw material for scams, and reducing what is findable is one reasonable layer of defense.
A Practical Cleanup Routine
Search Yourself First
Search your full name, your name plus your city, your phone number, and your home address in quotes. Note which pages show private details.
Request Google Removals
Use Results about you for matches it finds, and the page-level form for any others. Turn on monitoring so Google flags new results.
Contact the Sources
Email the site owners behind the worst pages, and submit opt-outs to the people search sites you found.
Sign Up for DROP if You Live in California
It takes minutes and covers hundreds of brokers at once.
Repeat Every Few Months
Brokers rebuild profiles from new records, and new pages appear. Check back on a schedule instead of assuming the job is done.
Writing a Good Removal Request
Requests succeed more often when they are specific. State which kind of information appears, such as a phone number or a government ID number, and say where on the page it is. Include the exact URL and a screenshot. If the page appears for certain searches, list them, since Google’s form asks for the queries that surface the page.
Explain why the exposure creates risk. Google’s list of removable categories includes contact details, government IDs, bank and card numbers, signature images, medical records, and credentials, so tie your request to one of them. Avoid arguing about whether the information should be public. State what it is and ask for it to be hidden.
If Google declines, read the reason. A newsworthiness or public-interest refusal usually will not change. A refusal due to unclear evidence can sometimes be fixed by resubmitting with better screenshots.
Reduce What Gets Published in the First Place
Cleanup works better with prevention. Check the privacy settings on your social accounts and remove phone numbers and addresses from public profiles. Use an email alias for sign-ups where you can, which many password managers and email services offer. Think before you put your home address on public forms, club listings, or business registrations, since those pages are often indexed.
If you own a business, consider a separate business phone number and a business mailing address, so your home details do not end up on public registries. These steps do not remove existing pages, but they reduce the supply of new ones.
When to Get More Help
If a page contains threats, a stalker is using your information, or a scam is under way, removal from Search is only one step. Report the page to the website’s host, report scams at the FTC’s reporting site, and consider contacting local law enforcement. This guide is general information and not legal advice, and a lawyer can advise on cases involving harassment or defamation.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Assuming the Page Is Gone
A removed Google result can still be reached by direct link, through another search engine, or through a data broker’s own site. Check the source and follow up there.
Submitting Vague Requests
A request that says “this page has my information” without naming the specific data and the URL is easy to reject. Be exact.
Giving Out More Data Than Needed
Results about you asks for details so it can monitor for matches. Enter only what you are comfortable with, and review what Google says about how it uses the information.
Forgetting to Recheck
Brokers and websites republish. A page you cleared in spring can return by autumn. Set a reminder to search your own name and rerun the tool.
Ignoring Your Other Accounts
Search results are only one exposure. Review the privacy settings on social networks, your public profile pages, and any business listings that show your address or number.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Google remove my information from the internet?
No. Google removes the result from its Search listings. The original page stays online until the site’s owner removes it, and other search engines may still show it.
How long does a Google removal request take?
Google’s support pages do not give a fixed timeline in the sources reviewed. The Results about you tool sends email updates as the request moves along, so you can follow the status there.
Is Results about you free?
Yes. The sources reviewed describe it as a Google account feature, with no fee mentioned.
Can Google monitor my Social Security number?
In the US, yes. Since the February 2026 expansion, Results about you can monitor for Social Security, driver’s license, and passport numbers and alert you if they show up in search results.
What is California DROP?
It is a state platform where California residents submit one deletion request to all registered data brokers. Brokers must delete matching records within 45 days of processing, subject to exemptions.
References and Sources
Google Search Help, “Remove your personal information from Google”: https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/9673730
9to5Google, “Google expands ‘Results about you’ to monitor SSN, driver’s license, passport numbers”: https://9to5google.com/2026/02/10/google-results-about-you-expansion/
Google, “Results about you”: https://goo.gle/resultsaboutyou
California Privacy Protection Agency, “Delete Request and Opt-out Platform (DROP)”: https://privacy.ca.gov/drop/
Federal Trade Commission, “FTC data shows consumers reported losing $16 billion to fraud in 2025”: https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2026/06/ftc-data-consumer-fraud-losses-2025
About The Author
