Nobody wants their personal information to be accessible to all and sundry, so you might be unsettled to see what appears when you Google your name. Try it. A quick online search can often reveal details that you'd rather keep private, which are potentially useful for scammers.
However, you can take control what appears using a free privacy tool, according to the consumer experts at Which? They explained that Google's 'Results About You' feature allows you to request the removal of details, such as your home address and phone number, from search engine results.
To control the personal information that shows up, you need to activate the feature via your Google account. Sign in to get started by entering your email and password – if you don't have an account, you can create one for free.
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During the process, you'll be prompted to enter the personal information you want Google to monitor. This could be your name, home address, email address, mobile and/or landline number.
When confirming the details, there's the option to be notified by email or via the Google app when results about you are found. The final screen announces that the first check can take up to six hours to complete and any findings will be displayed on the dashboard or sent to you.
The results will depend on your current online privacy settings. It could include your name, contact details, location and information from your public profiles across Google services, including your YouTube channel.
