Google is now entertaining requests of users who want to remove their private medical records online from search results.
Of course, this is one surefire way to address online safety and privacy, especially at a time when hackers tend to target the networks of numerous medical facilities or related peripherals across the globe.
How To Remove Your Private Medical Records
Before getting into the nitty-gritty details, it should be mentioned that Google recently updated its policy in removing online content from Google, which now includes "confidential, personal medical records of private people."
Basically, what you want to do here is send proof to Google that your personal data is turning up in the search results and get in touch with the company to take it down.
Step 1: Double-check whether or not your private medical records are indeed online. To do this, simply search for your name on Google Search.
Note: Arguably, the best time to check is when news about hackers breaching medical facilities' networks make the headlines.
Step 2: Copy and save the URL of a website where you found your details.
Step 3: Head to Google's support page for taking down online content and make the request official.
Step 4: At the bottom of the page, click on "Remove information you see in Google Search" and answer the rest of queries accordingly. At the end of it all, provide the URL containing your personal records.
Note: If that support page doesn't exactly fit the bill, you can head on over to Google's legal support page for removing content, which offers more options to report.
Why You Should Ask Google To Remove Your Private Medical Records
As a rule of thumb, the less info you have on the internet, the less likely you are to become a victim of cybercrimes.
Back in August 2015, personal details of 3.9 million people got leaked online, leaving the victims vulnerable to hackers.
In other words, they were at risk of having their identities and banking and credit card info stolen, and they could've even had their medical information sold or used by other individuals and get denied medical attention due to debts.
The Bottom Line
To sum things up, Google is expanding the types of content it'll remove from the search results, with the latest addition to the policy for private medical records.
It should be pointed out that users can have all sorts of sensitive info taken down as long as it's under the company's guidelines.
"You can ask Google to remove your sensitive personal information, like your bank account number, or an image of your handwritten signature, or a nude or sexually explicit image or video of you that's been shared without your consent, from Google search results," Google says.
With all said and done, staying safe and keeping your personal info private on the internet should be a top priority, as you can never know what hackers or unscrupulous users will do when they have your details.
Have you faced some online trouble before? If so, feel free to drop by our comments section below and let us know.
