On a computer: Log into Facebook and click the downward triangle ▼ at the upper-right corner of the page. Go to Settings & Privacy > Settings > Privacy. Scroll down to the “Do you want search engines outside of Facebook to link to your profile?” Click Edit and select No. Phone or tablet: Open the Facebook app and tap the three-line menu ☰ at the top-right or bottom-right. Tap How People Find and Contact You. Tap Do you want search engines outside of Facebook to link to your profile? and select No. This will only prevent your personal Facebook profile from appearing in Google, Bing, and other search engine results. If you’ve made posts or comments on public Facebook Pages or groups, they could still appear on Google. If this happens, follow the link and edit or delete your comment/post as needed.
Log into Facebook and click the downward triangle ▼ at the upper-right corner of the page. Go to Settings & Privacy > Settings > Privacy. Scroll down to the “Do you want search engines outside of Facebook to link to your profile?” Click Edit and select No.
Open the Facebook app and tap the three-line menu ☰ at the top-right or bottom-right. Tap How People Find and Contact You. Tap Do you want search engines outside of Facebook to link to your profile? and select No.
Log into your Twitter account on your computer, phone, or tablet. If you’re using a phone or tablet, tap the three-line menu at the top-left. On a computer, click More in the left column. Click or tap Settings and privacy. Click or tap Privacy and safety. On a phone or tablet, toggle “Protect your Tweets” to the On position. On a computer, click Audience and tagging and check the box next to “Protect your Tweets. "
Twitter: Go to your profile, select Edit profile, and change what appears in the “Name” field. Facebook: Click the down-arrow at the top of the page (or tap the three-line menu on a phone or tablet), go to Settings & Privacy > Settings, tap Personal and Account Information (mobile only), and then change the “Name” field. Instagram: Go to your profile, tap Edit Profile, and adjust what appears next to “Name. "
Try to remember the places you’ve shopped online (or search your email for receipts). Log in to any site you don’t plan to use again and either change your name or delete your profile. If you’ve signed up for online forums, such as help forums for services or discussion boards, your posts and profiles could appear in searches for your name. If you can’t remember which forums or groups you’ve signed up for, try searching your email for “Welcome to” or similar.
Remember, this will not remove the content from the web, and it can still be easily accessed by visiting the site. If you want this content removed, you’ll need to contact the site owners.
If Google verifies that the site is displaying your personal information without your consent, it will remove that URL from its search results. Note that this will not remove the content from the internet, and it can be easily linked and shared through social networks. If you want the content off the internet, you’ll need to go through the site owner, the host, or the legal system.
Instead of just using Google, make sure to search for yourself on other search engines, such as Bing and DuckDuckGo. Remember, it’s not the search engine that is causing your name to appear, it is content on the web.
If the site your name appears on is run by some sort of name indexing company, you may also find a form you can fill out which will request your removal from the site. You can use WHOIS, a domain registry database, to attempt to find contact information if none is listed. If the domain was privately registered, your request will be sent to a proxy company, and may or may not be forwarded to the actual owner.
You may have heard that it is illegal to publish information about someone that is defamatory or slanderous. In truth, determining whether content is defamatory or slanderous is an extremely nuanced legal matter. Additionally, in the United States, there is a loophole regarding slanderous content online in which website owners are not responsible for user-submitted content. [1] X Research source For you, this means that again, they are not under any legal obligation to remove said content. Depending on the website, though, sending a polite email request just might get the job done.
You may have heard that it is illegal to publish information about someone that is defamatory or slanderous. In truth, determining whether content is defamatory or slanderous is an extremely nuanced legal matter. Additionally, in the United States, there is a loophole regarding slanderous content online in which website owners are not responsible for user-submitted content. [1] X Research source For you, this means that again, they are not under any legal obligation to remove said content. Depending on the website, though, sending a polite email request just might get the job done.
You can use services such as DeleteMe to automatically contact all of these directory sites with removal requests. This will cost you money, but can be much more time-effective if you want to be thorough.
See How to Write a DMCA Take Down Request for detailed instructions on how to word and send the request.
Sign up for Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram, and any other popular networks.
It also helps to include a link to this domain on your public social media profiles. The more a URL is linked to from an outside source, the higher up it will appear in search results. Use this opportunity to market yourself or your business. Include some positive information, especially if you are trying to bury content that doesn’t put you in a very good light.
Go to the form page to begin submitting the request.
Remember, this method will only be useful if the content that is posted is actually illegal (slanderous, defamatory, copyright). It is not illegal for someone to just post your name on a website.
See How to Get a Court Order for more information on filing a court order.