If someone shares false, sensitive or explicit information about you online, the results can be devastating and your options for fighting back limited. Now, Google is expanding its tools for taking down search results that put your privacy or peace of mind at risk.
A new Google update will make it simpler to request the removal of fake explicit images as public figures, teachers and ordinary people increasingly contend with targeted abuse in the form of “deepfakes,” or realistic-looking images made with AI. While fake nude images have long existed and Google already lets people request they be removed from search results, the change will help identify and remove copies of explicit images and block further explicit searches, the company said in a recent blog post.
As part of the update, Google says it will also penalize websites that receive multiple reports of abusive deepfakes by lowering their rankings in search. To request Google take down a fake explicit image, use this form. You must be identifiable in the image for it to be taken down, Google says.
The change comes as AI imaging gets more advanced and abusers target people from Taylor Swift to local politicians with altered photos that appear to show subjects nude or in sexual scenarios. In many cases, victims struggle to get law enforcement and tech companies to take down the images.
Different state laws take different stances toward revenge porn, AI manipulation and online harassment, and tech companies currently aren’t held legally liable for the content on their sites. Websites hosting deepfake pornography, meanwhile, can ignore requests to take down copyrighted material — in this case, the victim’s likeness — and dodge repercussions.
Some explicit deepfakes come from image generators that have been edited to remove guardrails against nudity. Others come from apps dedicated to “nudifying” images. Google has its own AI-powered image generator, Gemini, which prohibits making pornographic images in its terms of service. Google has said Gemini was trained on public images from across the web.
Google’s removal requests are, for some people, a last line of defense against abusers or predatory data brokers. Information about you including your address and phone number is usually circulating online, but when these items surface in a Google search it can put your safety or reputation at risk. Deleting them from search results doesn’t remove them from the web, but it might help mitigate stalking or harassment.
How to remove search engine results about you
To remove a result that includes your phone number or address, open the Google app or Chrome browser and tap on the three dots next to a search result. A window titled “about this result” should pop up. Scroll to the bottom and select the “remove result” button. After you fill out a removal form, your request will take a few days to process. You can check the status by tapping on your profile icon in the top right corner and selecting “results about you.”
If you’re trying to remove other types of information such as financial information or medical records from Google search results, go to this form. You can also ask Google to remove genuine explicit photos if they were posted without your consent.