Nairobi News

Google has unveiled a series of updates to its privacy tools within Google Search, aimed at providing users with greater command over their personal information, online safety, and privacy.

The enhanced “Results about you” feature, the new SafeSearch option, and revised policies pertaining to personal explicit content have been introduced as part of Google’s ongoing efforts to fortify user privacy in the digital realm.

One of the newly revamped tools, “Results about you,” initially launched last year, now boasts an upgraded dashboard.

This feature discloses whether web results displaying contact information appear in Search results. Utilizing this tool, users can promptly request the removal of such results from Google’s Search.

Furthermore, the tool will notify individuals whenever fresh web results containing personal contact details emerge.

Accessible through the Google app, users can navigate to the tool by selecting “Results about you” from the menu that appears when clicking their Google account photo.

Currently available in the U.S. and English language, it is set to expand to other languages and regions in the near future.

Another addition to Google’s privacy arsenal is the novel SafeSearch tool.

This tool incorporates a default blurring setting for explicit imagery, encompassing adult content and graphic violence.

The blurring mechanism intends to mitigate accidental exposure to such content in Search results, rendering it more family-friendly.

Users can adjust this setting or deactivate it unless it is locked by a guardian or a school network administrator.

Dorothy Ooko, Head of Communications and Public Affairs for Google in sub-Saharan Africa, underscored the company’s dedication to safeguarding online personal information.

“Protecting the personal information of people on the internet is a priority for Google, and the introduction of these tools and updates will give people more control over private information appearing in Google Search.”

These privacy tool enhancements are introduced against a backdrop of heightened concerns about online privacy and security, particularly in countries like Kenya.

According to a study by Ipsos, 93 percent of Kenyans have voiced apprehensions about privacy and information control, surpassing the 79 percent country average.

As per the ‘Disrupting Harm in Kenya’ report published in 2021 by a consortium of organizations including UNICEF Office of Research, about 67 percent of children aged 12 to 17 in Kenya are internet users, with a significant proportion not having received guidance on safe online engagement.

Google’s policy updates also extend to personal explicit images. Users can now request the removal of their own explicit images from Search results.

While this policy does not encompass content currently in commercial use, it does provide an avenue for the elimination of non-consensual explicit imagery from Search.

Dorothy added, “Whether it’s for websites containing personal information, explicit imagery or any other removal requests, we’ve updated and simplified the forms you use to submit requests.

Of course, removing content from Google Search does not remove it from the web or other search engines, but we hope these changes give people more control over private information appearing in Google Search.”