Hello!
I wanted to get some personal information removed from Google’s search engine. I tried getting it removed using their Search removal tool by requesting it twice. They replied back saying ‘no<3’.
I cannot contact the webmaster/admin.
The information in question is my school’s fault.
The information can give away alot of my personal information.
I also don’t live in a first world country.
Any solutions?
Hey Polly!
Did they provide any reasons for declining the request?
Data that can be removed as of my knowledge is personal data that can be linked back to you, this could include your:
Home address
Telephone number
Email address
Work address
Credit card or bank details
Medical history
Confidential log-in details
To remove yourself from searches, your first—and maybe most obvious—step is to delete your social media accounts, or at least change the information from your real name to a fake name. Google can’t show information that doesn’t exist.
Don’t forget to delete or change old accounts that you haven’t used in years.
Googling yourself among with other searching methods should turn up any old accounts you may not remember.
Want to keep your accounts?
Try setting the account’s privacy settings to “private,” which prevents Google from showing your pictures in search results too.
Note, however, that it can take weeks for deleted content to stop showing in search results. For anything that still remains, you can petition Google.
I don’t use social media.
The information in question is my school’s fault.
The information can give away alot of my personal information.
Where I live, this kind of information is considered a proof of identity, I mentioned that in my removal request to no avail.
and the reason they gave was “the decision to not remove the URL based on the requirements in our PII policy.”
Wait a minute, PII.
Can I ask, where are you located (country wide of course?)
I’m seeing this happening more and more with schools being a danger to student’s privacy, it’s just sad.
I can’t account for how privacy focused everyone is so pointing out the obvious and making sure that it’s not the case is how I think is the best start to identifying solutions to the problem.
I’ve taken a look at Google’s privacy policy and I think your only shot might be talking to the school about it.
Other than that I guess keep trying to fill up more requests in hopes of one getting approved.
right. that’s probably smart.
yes. its even worse in 3rd world countries because people in general are not aware/ care about privacy. if i go to my school, i won’t get a response and will probably be considered sus.
yes.
agreed
Try talking to your parents see if they can do something about it
no, they won’t care much either. sadly they are the “if you have nothing to hide you have nothing to worry about” mentality.
That mentality sucks until they get breached.
I wish more would stop using that as a Crux.
Why would your school be required to display personally identifiable information? If anything I would expect the opposite to be the case. Is this supposed to be like a transparency measure?
its just the way things are done here i guess.
guys! i contacted the webmaster as a last resort thinking nothing would happen and filed another removal request, I don’t know which of these steps did it but my information is removed!!
so pro tip : contact the webmaster even if you are from somewhere privacy laws are not taken seriously. you never know. also keep filing google removal requests if they deny you. Pull a Shawshank on them. 
while contacting the webmaster, use formal language.
I started it with “as part of google’s search removal request, i have to contact the webmaster of the site that hosts the information i want to get removed.”
What a happy ending this turned out to be, proud of you man, keep that energy up.
This energy reminds me of why privacy is important and should not be forgotten or just let go.
yes! everything was so gloomy yesterday.
privacy >>>>
That’s amazing congrats!
