If you've come across an image of your child or any other minor in Google's search results, here's how to request it be removed.
Child safety is one of the most important issues on the internet today. Pictures of children can appear in search results after being scanned by social media sites or local news outlets.
Fortunately, Google offers a feature to combat this ever-growing problem. If you find an image of a minor in Google's search results, you can request that the image be removed.
Here, we'll take a look at how you can do just that.
How to ask Google to remove the image of a minor
If you come across an image of yourself as a minor online, here's how to request its removal from Google:
- Go to the dedicated Google to request the removal of personal information
- Fill out the form to report the image you wish to be removed. Make sure you select Pictures of an individual currently under the age of 18 from the section I want to remove.
- In the form, include information such as the image URLs of all the images you want to remove, the URLs of the search results pages that contain the images, and any search query terms that emerge from the images.
- Click the button Send to send the request to Google.
- After you submit your request, Google will review your request and contact you if it needs more information to verify that you meet the requirements for removal.
- Google will notify you once the image is removed if it meets the requirements.
It may be worth visiting Google's guide to the policy for a more detailed explanation of the requirements you will need to meet in order to successfully remove an image.
To briefly explain, you will need to make sure that:
- The URLs you submit are the image URL, not the website URL.
- The image you are reporting includes an identifiable person under the age of 18.
- You are the minor in the photo or their parent, guardian or authorized representative.
Remember that submitting the form does not guarantee the removal of the image. The form is a request that is sent to Google. The company will then review the information in the form and take appropriate action.
This is an important step to make sure that the images are not removed by mistake, while ensuring that the images of minors can be removed quickly and efficiently.
Who can request to remove images of minors from Google?
Any minor can request that an image of himself be removed from Google search results. This is probably the least likely scenario to use the feature, as minors may not even be aware that their image is on the Internet.
Parents, guardians or authorized representatives can also request that a child's image be removed from Google search results. This is a much more likely scenario, in case you come across an image of your child.
While specific definitions of a child may vary from country to country, Google classifies a child as anyone under the age of 18.
