Google announced a new tool Wednesday that allows parents and families to more easily get images of minors removed from Google Images search results.
“We know that kids and teens have to navigate some unique challenges online, especially when a picture of them is unexpectedly available on the internet,” said the company in an an announcement.
In order to qualify for removal, Google said the photo in question:
- Must be an image URL. (They won’t take down web URLs with text and images under this new policy, but it could qualify for other reasons.)
- Must be an “identifiable” picture of the minor in question, who currently has to be under 18. They’ll also consider pictures of children who died before turning 18.
A child, teenager, or a parent/guardian can make the request.
You can submit the request for removal here on Google’s support site. Google said team members will review the request, reach out if they need more information, and notify you if/when the content is taken down.
If the request is approved, “This means these images won’t appear in the Images tab or as thumbnails in any feature in Google Search,” the company said.
If you’re an adult and are seeking to have photos of you removed from Google Images, the company has different criteria. It will consider removing photos if it contains sensitive information (like your social security or credit card information) or if the photo was non-consensual.
More details on Google’s policy for removing images can be found here.
