How to Request Google Removes Images of Minors From Search Results

If you've come across an image of your child or any other minor on Google's search results, here's how to request for it to be removed.

Child safety is one of the most important issues on the internet today. Images of children can appear in search results after being crawled from social media sites or local news outlets.

Luckily, Google offers a feature to combat this ever-growing issue. If you come across an image of a minor on Google's search results, you can request for the image to be removed.

Here, we'll take a look at how you can do just that.

How to Request Google Removes an Image of a Minor

If you come across an image of you a minor online, here's how to request it be removed from Google:

1. Head to Google's dedicated support page to request the removal of personal information.

   

2. Fill out the form to report the image you wish to be removed. Make sure to select Imagery of an individual currently under the age of 18 from the I want to remove section.

   
3. In the form, include information such as the image URLs of any images that you want to remove, the URLs of any search results pages that contain the images, and any search query terms that surface the images.

4. Click the Submit button to send the request to Google.

   
5. After you submit the request, Google will review the request and reach out if it needs any additional information to verify it meets the requirements for removal.
6. Google will notify you once it has taken down the image, if it meets the requirements.

It might be worth visiting Google's help page for the policy for a more detailed explanation of the requirements you’ll need to meet to successfully get an image removed.

To briefly explain, you'll need to make sure:

• The URLs you submit are the image's URL, not the website's.
• The image you're reporting includes an identifiable individual under the age of 18.
• You are the minor in the photo, or their parent, guardian, or authorized representative.

Remember that submitting the form is not a guarantee that the image will be removed. The form is a request that gets sent to Google. The company will then review the information in the form and take the appropriate action.

Related: Protect Your Child's Android Phone Using Google Family Link

This is an important step to make sure images don't get taken down mistakenly, while ensuring that images of minors can be removed quickly and efficiently.

Who Can Request to Remove Images of Minors From Google?

Any minor can request for an image of themselves removed from Google's 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 to remove an image of a minor from Google's search results. This is a much more likely scenario, in case you come across an image of your child or client online.

Related: What Every Parent With a Connected Child Should Know

While specific definitions of a minor can vary between countries, Google classifies a minor as anyone under the age of 18. Only the individual in the photo must be a minor, so it doesn't matter if the individual is now above 18 years old.

Google Has Taken an Important Step in Child Safety Online

With online child safety becoming a more important issue, Google's feature has taken a vital step in helping to keep minors safe online. One of parents' biggest concerns with the internet is photos of their child appearing online, and Google's feature helps to minimize this concern.

Google's feature isn't the only way to keep minors safe online, there are tons of tips to help you do just that.

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