Google is the biggest website in the world and where many people start browsing the internet. But until recently, Google’s internet search engine never had the ability to protect your privacy by actually letting you remove personal info from Google Search results.

Thankfully, Google took steps to correct the problem by letting users submit removal requests for personal information. It’s not just your phone number or email that Google will try to hide from the internet. Google’s Results about you feature also handles very sensitive content, like revenge porn.

Below, I’ll show you how to remove your personal data from Google Search results.

What you need to know

Before we start, I need to remind you that Google’s Results about you feature is still in beta, and only works in the US for search results in English.

More important is the fact that Google won’t remove the information you want to stop from appearing in Search from the internet. Your email address, phone number, and personal images will be available on the websites that publish them. What Google does is stop showing those results about you in Search results.

That’s assuming that Google accepts your data removal requests. It might not honor all of them, so that’s another thing to be aware of.

Create a Google account

The first thing you need to do to take advantage of Google Search’s Results about you feature is to create a Google account. Most of you likely already have one, but this step is a prerequisite for the search removal process to begin. You can start the process at this link.

If you have a Gmail address, you already have a Google account. There’s nothing else you need to do. Therefore, the easiest way to sign up for a Google account is to sign up for Gmail. Also, if you own an Android phone, you likely have a Google account. You’d need one to get content from the Google Play store.

How to remove personal information from Google Search on the web

Once that’s done, you have two ways of starting the Search results removal process. You can do it online in an internet browser or the Google app on iPhone or Android.

If you chose the browser route, go to the Results about you section of your account by clicking this link. Again, you’ll need to be logged into your account for it to work.

Tap the Get Started button and fill in the form that appears after a couple of information screens from Google.

You’ll need to supply Google your full name, address, phone number, and email. Once that’s done, Google’s Results about you service will automatically search for your personal data online.

The service will surface links automatically, saving them in a Results to review tab. That’s where the removal requests will start.

Image source: Google

Google will then monitor the web for your personal data and warn you when it appears online.

The company does say in the FAQ section that it won’t use any of the information in the form to personalize your experience across Google products. That’s a great privacy feature here, as Google won’t use personal information to build up the profile it has on you for ad purposes.

Finally, if you need to remove personal data from Google Search results that does not qualify as personal information, you need to go to at this link.

How to remove personal information from Google Search on Android and iPhone

Most people rely on smartphones for all their computing needs, so you might want to start your personal info removal quest from there. Just go to the Google app, tap on your profile icon, and look for the new Results about you option.

As you can see in the animation, the process is similar to the web procedure. You’ll still have to fill in a form with your personal data, and then wait for Google to check the web for instances showing any of your data points.

Like before, you’ll see the pages where the information shows up, and you’l be able to ask Google to remove the Search results.

No matter the route you take, remember the limitations. The information will not disappear from the web just because Google Search doesn’t link to it on its results pages. For that to happen, you’ll have to contact the website owner directly.

The Google Pixel 8 Pro is expected to launch within weeks, and that means the marketing materials and promo videos are already being made – and one of the latter has leaked.

The promotional video for the Google Pixel 8 Pro shows the Google flagship in a new blue colour option and also reveals a seriously useful video upgrade.

A version of the leaked video was posted to Twitter by leaker EZ, who explains that "the new Pixel 8 series will introduce Audio Magic Eraser feature to reduce video background noise". That would remove unwanted sounds from your clips, something that's an enormous pain to do manually.

See more

The Magic Eraser name suggests that, like the photo feature of the same name, it'll use AI-based machine learning tools to analyse your video clips, work out what's unwanted and get shot of it without you having to lift a finger. If it works as well as the photo feature does, it's going to be a real boon to serious video makers and home video shooters alike.

According to EZ, the feature is coming to the Pixel 8 Pro and to the Pixel 8 too.

The launch of the Google Pixel 8 is expected to be in October 2023 with a slight price increase over the Pixel 7 models; it is predicted to be priced somewhere between $649 and $699, which is between $50 and $100 more than the Pixel 7. The Pro is likely to increase in price too; it's currently $899 but a price of $999 is rumoured this time around.

There are likely to be some significant improvements to the hardware for both phones, which will move to the newer Tensor G3 processor. That's reportedly a lot faster and more efficient than before, with improved graphics power too.

Both phones are reportedly moving to the ISOCELL GN2 main camera, and the Pro is apparently getting an upgrade to its Sony IMX787 sensor on the ultrawide camera alongside improved autofocus. The camera upgrades will deliver signfiicantly better low light performance and possibly higher resolution/frame rate video.

Those are the headline upgrades, but there's much more: faster charging, DisplayPort over USB-C and even a temperature sensor. We'll find out for sure in the next few weeks.

08/10 Update below. This post was originally published on August 8

Google has detailed a new smartphone technology that could put the company’s Google Pixel smartphones one step ahead of iPhones and Samsung Galaxy handsets.

The technology, revealed in a recent patent application, describes a new under-display front-facing camera that would allow the company to eliminate entirely the notch or, as Apple likes to call it, the “Dynamic Island” from the display. This would result in an uninterrupted full-screen experience for users, making maximum use of the available space.

Such a design presents some notoriously difficult problems, as the screen must function as both a display and a ‘window’ to allow light through to the front-facing camera beneath. Furthermore, it must perform both of these functions without negatively impacting the quality of either the display or the camera.

Under-display cameras already exist in smartphones such as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold range, but Google’s solution is unique in the way it aims to maximize camera quality by introducing deliberate light-blocking elements and distortions.

Google’s technique uses two specialized regions of the display that block or distort light in different ways as it passes through the screen. This could be achieved by using a layer of light-blocking material that inserts different shapes or patterns between the display and a pair of camera sensors, one beneath each specialized region. The sensors themselves could also be of different types, for example, one color sensor and one that captures in monochrome.

Each light-blocking pattern is matched with its sensor to provide the best possible quality in a particular characteristic, such as sharpness, while the other is tuned to do better at different characteristic, perhaps color fidelity. Each of these regions of the display could also feature alternative pixel layouts that affect the path of light through the display in different ways.

The output from each sensor is then combined to create a final high-quality image using digital image processing and machine learning. In this way, the negative impact of shooting through a screen is reduced.

Google won’t be the first to produce such a display, but earlier attempts have so far failed to deliver on quality, with most premium handsets sticking with current ‘notched’ display technology rather than forcing users to put up with substandard selfies or obvious low-quality areas on the display.

Of course, being a mere patent application, there’s no certain Google will produce such a camera in the near future, but there’s certainly demand for it, and if Google’s new technology can deliver high-quality results, then it could become a compelling reason to consider a future Pixel device over an iPhone or Galaxy smartphone.

08/10 Update: While we’re waiting for Google’s game-changing camera tech, the Pixel 8 range is just around the corner and, as revealed in a recent report from WinFuture, it’s not good news for those hoping for a large storage capacity to store their photos and videos.

According to the report, Google will be sticking to just 128GB and 256GB variants of the standard Pixel 8, while the Pixel 8 Pro will also be available in a 512GB mode. This means there will be no new higher-capacity Pixel 8 / Pixel 8 Pro models at launch compared to the current Pixel 7 / Pixel 7 Pro.

By contrast, Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro models are expected to drop the 128GB size altogether, starting at 256GB and potentially with support for up to 2TB of storage.

The new Pixel range is expected to launch this October in a range of colors, including “Licorice”, “Peony” and “Haze” for the standard Pixel 8, while the Pro model is expected to launch in “Licorice”, “Porcelain” and “Sky” colorways, according to WinFuture.

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Google Workspace, your most secure choice in productivity suites, will be getting even more secure. That's the message driving Google's announcement today of 11 new features and capabilities for its Workspace service. 

Citing a 38% year-over-year rise in cybersecurity attacks in 2023, coupled with an average cost per data breach of $4.3M, Google revealed a variety of new security enhancements, some now in preview, others coming later in the year. 

Also: Ransomware attacks broke records in July, mainly driven by this one group

It's unclear which Workspace plans will gain these new features. Google did mention that some are intended for their biggest customers, but whether the rest of these filter down to SMB services is unclear at this time. 

And with that, let's run down the full list of new capabilities:

Zero-trust and DLP 

The idea behind zero trust is that security extends beyond the first password login. Never trust. Always verify. For example, if someone manages to break into your network, they're still blocked from getting to internal resources on the network.

DLP, aka data loss prevention, refers to services that prevent the theft of data from a network.

Also: The best VPN services right now: Expert tested and reviewed

In that context, Google is introducing new zero trust controls and DLP capabilities for Workspace.

AI-powered classification and labeling for Google Drive: As in Gmail, labels can be applied to documents in Google Drive. With this new feature, some labels will be applied automatically, based on conditions specified by admins. Automatic labeling sets up the documents for further controls within Workplace. This feature is now available in preview.

Context-aware DLP controls in Drive: Some to-do list managers can be set to deliver pop-up notifications for specific to-do items at specific locations. For example, if you have a to-do item to get rockfish while at the grocery store, as soon as you walk into the store, the notification fires. The new context-aware controls for Drive work like that. Admins can set different levels of security based on context. These might include device location, device type, security status, user role, and more. This feature will be available for preview later this year.

Extended DLP controls in Gmail: While Google was unclear about exactly what controls these might be, they are intended to prevent the sharing of sensitive information. Perhaps these will include controls for forwarding messages, or practicing messages in certain contexts. (For example, some messages can only be read at work.) That's speculation on my part, though, since Google hasn't elaborated at all on this capability. This will be available for preview later this year.

New digital sovereignty controls

Digital sovereignty describes the idea of geographic location for data governance. For example, does your data live on servers in the US or in Europe? Where do the keys live? This is important when it comes to data security laws, and the laws of various governments about what can be shared or subpoenaed by entities outside the original corporate owner.

Also: Check your SSDs: What to know about the SanDisk/Western Digital data loss disaster

Google says it's going beyond data residency with digital sovereignty controls. Here are the four capabilities they're introducing.

Client-side encryption enhancements: Client-side encryption (CSE) is exactly what it says: encryption on the local device before it goes to the server. The idea is that if the data is locked down before reaching the network, it's secured. Google is introducing a wide range of CSE enhancements, including support for mobile apps like Calendar, Gmail, and Meet, setting CSE defaults based on organizational units, and more. Because this is a laundry list of enhancements, some are available now, while others will show up over time.

Specify the location of encryption keys: New partnerships with Thales, Stormshield, and FlowCrypt enable Workspace customers to choose which country's servers house their encryption (and decryption) keys.

Choose where your data is processed: Currently, Google supports your ability to choose where your data is stored -- in the EU or US -- when it's just being stored. Now, Google says you'll also be able to choose where your data is processed (that is, where the CPUs that chunk your data live). This is expected to be previewed later this year.

Choose which region supplies Google support techs: Admins can currently specify that Google customer support access be limited only to US-based personnel. Later this year, Google will preview a feature that allows customers to limit Google customer support access to technicians based in the EU instead. 

Cyberthreat prevention

Google is introducing a series of capabilities designed to get out in front of cyber threats. 

Mandatory 2-step verification: Here's a fascinating stat from Google's blog: Two-step verification results in a 50% decrease in accounts being compromised. That's a huge upside benefit for a relatively simple security tactic. In this set of announcements, Google has stated that "select administrator accounts" of resellers and large enterprise customers will be required to add two-step verification to their accounts. Look for that to begin later this year.

Multi-party approval for sensitive administrative actions: 

Google has realized that it's probably not good to put unchecked, godlike powers in the hands of any single system administrator. As such, Google, later this year, will be adding the requirement that a second admin approve certain sensitive actions. This not only protects against mistakes, but against actions by a single compromised admin.

Also: This AI-generated crypto invoice scam almost got me, and I'm a security pro

Protecting sensitive actions in Gmail: Although Google is very reticent about providing details at this time, the company has stated that it's beginning to preview the use of AI-powered defenses to block sensitive actions such as email filtering or forwarding. (Whether that will prevent George in accounting from being able to send "I'm hungry, I'm going to lunch" to the entire company for the fifth time this month remains to be seen.)

Exporting logs to Chronicle in a few clicks: Chronicle is Google's security operations suite. Google is making it easier to send Workspace logs to Chronicle for more in-depth analysis. The feature is available to preview now.

Some Google security stats

Google also provided some statistics to showcase the benefits of its services:

That last stat is interesting. While the report does show a 50% savings, it's a 50% savings compared to the worst-ranked alternative solutions. There are other solutions with similar insurance cost estimates to Google's.

Also: The other shoe finally dropped on my Google Enterprise cloud storage plan

And there you are: Eleven new features from Google, available sometime this year or next. They'll be available to enterprise customers, and possibly smaller business customers. Better security is in the offing, and it will get here when it gets here, but it will get here.

You can follow my day-to-day project updates on social media. Be sure to subscribe to my weekly update newsletter on Substack, and follow me on Twitter at @DavidGewirtz, on Facebook at Facebook.com/DavidGewirtz, on Instagram at Instagram.com/DavidGewirtz, and on YouTube at YouTube.com/DavidGewirtzTV.

Details have emerged that Google could be devising a new form of under-screen front-facing camera for future Pixel phones. If the recent patent application translates into a successful implementation of the technology, it'd mean a clean, notch-free display.

The best camera phones always have a front-facing camera, which is handy not just for taking selfies, but also for features like face unlock. However, as useful as the selfie camera is, it invariably has a negative impact on screen real estate, and the overall phone aesthetic. Smartphone design is all about maximising the 'screen to body' ratio, with the slimmest possible bezels. Historically that's not quite been possible, as the display has had to make way for the selfie camera, whether that be in the form of a notch, or a punch-hole. Some manufacturers have devised more creative solutions, like the OnePlus 7 Pro which featured a pop-up selfie camera, or the Asus Zenfone 8 Flip that was able to flip its entire rear-facing camera module forward when you wanted to take a selfie.

But mechanical moving parts in a phone are always potential weak points, while also adding extra bulk. The ultimate solution to eliminating the screen notch is an under-display selfie camera, which we've seen recently in phones like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5. It's technically challenging, however, as the display mustn't show any image imperfections as it passes over the camera lens, yet it simultaneously can't obstruct light entering the camera beneath. Something of a 'Catch-22'.

Google's patent shows an innovative take on the under-screen camera. Rather than using a single camera, which can compromise display quality in the area that passes over the lens, Google's design would use a pair of cameras, with each positioned behind two specific regions of the display. Each display region would feature a special material to block light in specific patterns; patterns which correspond to what the camera sensor behind has been tuned to capture. One sensor could then record specific information like sharpness, and the other color or monochrome data, with machine learning then combining these components into a single complete image. By splitting the image into separate elements like this, the display passing over each under-screen camera is presumably less compromised than if it was covering a single camera, thereby potentially reducing the impact on display quality.

It all sounds pretty ambitious, but as this is currently just a patent application, there's no certain if, let alone when, the theory may translate into real hardware. If Google can turn a completely invisible under-screen camera into reality, it'd be quite a feat of engineering.

Story credit: Forbes

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