Google has expanded its "Results about you" tool, adding monitoring for government ID information in Search results for U.S. users. The update lets people find and request removal of results that display passport numbers, driver's licenses, or Social Security numbers. Google says it plans to extend the feature beyond the United States.
Key details
Google announced the update in a post on its official Search blog. The tool already allowed users to track and request removal of Search results with phone numbers and home addresses. With the new update, it can now monitor government-issued identifiers that users add to their profile.
- Supported identifiers include passport numbers, driver's license numbers, and Social Security numbers.
- Once users submit their information, Google scans Search results and sends alerts when it detects potential matches.
- Users can then review flagged results and submit removal requests directly through the tool's interface.
- Google states that it protects submitted ID numbers using its security protocols and encryption.
- The rollout is starting in the United States and will reach additional regions, according to Google.
People can access "Results about you" through the Google app by tapping their account photo and selecting the tool. They can also visit the web experience at goo.gle/resultsaboutyou and follow the setup steps there.
New users complete a short onboarding flow where they add contact details and, now, government ID numbers. Existing users can open their profile and add ID numbers alongside previously stored phone numbers and addresses.
Google reports that more than 10 million people have used "Results about you" so far. In its announcement, the company describes the government ID expansion as an additional category of information the tool can monitor.
Background context
Google introduced the "Results about you" feature in 2022 to simplify removing personal contact details from Search results. Initially, users manually searched for their information and submitted takedown requests case by case.
Google later added automatic monitoring and alerts so people receive notifications when new results contain their phone numbers or addresses. The latest update extends that monitoring to government-issued identifiers that are often used for identity verification.
These changes align with Google's long-standing policy that allows people to request removal of sensitive personal information from Search. The policy covers data such as bank account numbers, credit card numbers, and images of handwritten signatures.
As with other removal tools, excluding a result from Google Search does not delete the content from the original website. People must contact the site operator separately if they want the underlying page changed or taken down.
Source citations
Google detailed the expanded capabilities of "Results about you" in an official blog post on its product site. The company also maintains a dedicated "Results about you" page where users can manage monitoring preferences.
- Official announcement: Google Search blog post on "Results about you" and government ID numbers
- Product access page: "Results about you" management hub
.svg)
.svg)
.svg)