It’s not unfair for us to take pride in our intellectual abilities. After all, some of the world’s greatest creations happened because a human mind went full throttle with its power to conceive a new reality. However, this doesn’t change the fact that we do have a knack of not thinking things through. Time and again, we have trusted the surface too much only for something lying in the depths to come and give our heads a wobble. A great example of it would be our prized digital realm. When the people first started talking about it, the utopian vibe around the idea made sure that no one focused on its negatives, but they were destined to pop up sooner or later. One of our most devastating reality checks came once everyone realized how vulnerable their personal information became owing to this transition. It got worse when cybercriminals across the block brought minors into the fold as well. The nature of these attacks caused regulatory bodies to spring into action, and they are now out to reprimand these criminals, as well as the platforms that are allowing it to happen. With some recent cases of regulatory enforcement serving as a cautionary tale, Google is looking to take a more proactive stance against digital exploitation of minors, and their latest move does everything to confirm that intention.
In its bid to bolster digital protection for kids, Google is simplifying ways through which minors or their parents can get personal pictures deleted from the search results. As per the reports, the company is set to launch a tool that will be dedicated to guiding under-18 kids in forming a request for removal of their personal property. It must be noted that this is not a new service on the Google’s roster. The company has long allowed users to put-forth such a call for deletion of photos and other information that qualified for distinctions like “non-consensual explicit” or “financial, medical, and national ID”. However, by expanding it to minors now, Google has positioned its plans of securing cyberspace for a more far-reaching delivery.
“We believe this change will help give young people more control over their digital footprint and where their images can be found on Search,” Google stated.
The procedure to get this done, as marketed, is very simple. All you have to do is provide the company with the URL of what you want removed. Next up, a team of reviewers will go through your submission to gauge the request’s legitimacy. Nevertheless, there is a catch. Even if the team gives a green light to your request, it won’t be entirely off the internet. For that, Google has advised users to get in touch with website’s webmaster. The tool, at the moment, might not be as incisive as one would have liked, but it every attribute to go ahead and make a difference.