October 28, 2021

As part of the many steps it plans to take to protect the privacy and mental well-being of minors, Google introduced a new policy that allows minors or their caregivers to request the removal of their images from the platform’s search results.

To start the process, interested parties are expected to fill out a form asking for the URL of the image in question.

The form also requires them to provide the URL of the Google search page used to find the image and the search terms that were used after which Google will evaluate the removal request.

While this would allow these images to be removed from Google’s search tools, the policy revealed that “It’s important to note that removing an image from Google results doesn’t remove it from the internet.”

Although the tool was specifically designed for users under 18 years of age, Google has revealed that adults interested in removing material related to them will use a separate option.

For more information, read the original story in NPR.