On rare occasions, pornographic content may appear in search results for individual’s names even though they have no connection with pornography. There are a few reasons this may happen, including "stuffing" of irrelevant keywords on sites. This article is intended to support you through the process of requesting removal of such content from Google search results for your name.
Requirements
For us to consider the content for removal, it must meet both of these requirements:
- Your name, or any other form of identification that is associated with you, including nicknames and usernames, must be present on the page without any relevant reason for it being there.
- The URLs you share with us should be of content that mainly contains explicit material.
Request to remove irrelevant pornographic content from Google Search
You or your authorized representative can submit a request to block pornographic content from appearing in Google Search results for your name. Any authorized representative will need to explain how they have the authority to act on your behalf.
What happens after you submit the removal request
- You get an automated email confirmation. This confirms we received the request.
- We review your request. Each request is evaluated based on the requirements above.
- We gather more info, if needed. In some cases, we may ask you for more information. If the request doesn’t have enough information for us to evaluate, like missing URLs, we’ll share specific instructions and ask you to resubmit the request.
- You get a notification of any action taken.
- If the request doesn't meet the requirements for removal, we’ll also include a brief explanation. If your request is denied and later you have additional materials to support your case, you can re-submit your request.
- If the submitted URLs are found to be within the scope of our policy, they will be removed only from search results in which the query includes the complainant’s name, or other provided identifiers, such as aliases and social media handles.
We take public interest and newsworthiness into account when determining if content will be removed.
- In the vast majority of cases, these types of queries and the content that accompanies them have no public interest value.
- In very rare cases, we may not remove reported content based on a strong public interest.
Frequently asked questions
The intake form has multiple options for removals. Which option do I choose?You must submit all the web or image URLs that you want us to review for removal from Google search results.
To find the URL of the content, search for the page or image you want to report.
Learn how to:
Add one URL per line. You can submit up to 1,000 URLs.
Screenshots of content that’s related to you helps us identify offensive content for removal. An image can have content that’s relevant to multiple individuals.
You can take a screenshot on your computer or with your mobile device. You may want to take the screenshot on the same device that you use to submit the form. Edit screenshots you submit to obscure any sexually explicit portions.
Learn how to take a screenshot on your:
Important: Child sexual abuse imagery is illegal and should NOT be shared in this form. Do not take or include screenshots containing child sexual abuse imagery or any content that presents someone under 18 in a sexual way. Learn how to report child sexual abuse imagery.