On Safer Internet Day, taking control of your online presence is more important than ever. That’s why Google is introducing a simpler, more effective way to remove personal, explicit images from Search results.
Alongside this important update, Google is highlighting five other essential tips to help you and your family navigate the digital world with confidence.
Whether you are a parent, a student, or just looking to protect your personal data, here’s what you need to know.
Six Ways to Take Control of Your Digital Safety
1. Quickly remove personal, explicit images from Search:
Finding private, explicit images of yourself shared online without your consent is a deeply violating and stressful experience. You need a fast, simple way to request their removal.
The solution: Google has a dedicated removal tool for this purpose. If you find a personal, non-consensual image of yourself in Search, you can click the three dots (“More”) on the image result and select “Remove result.”
You can also fill out a detailed removal request form for any personal, intimate, or explicit content you want taken down.
For general browsing, you can also activate Google SafeSearch in your settings to automatically blur or filter explicit content from your results.
2. Keep your personal ID numbers private and out of Search.
It can be unsettling to find your personal information, like a driver’s license or passport number, appearing in public search results, leaving you vulnerable.
The solution: Google has introduced a new, simple way to help you find and remove this sensitive information.
You can now check if your government ID numbers appear in Search results and request their removal.
You can access this feature through the “Results about you” hub, located in the Google app by tapping your profile picture. It gives you more control over your sensitive data and helps you keep it private.
3. Guide your children’s screen time and app usage.
Parents often worry about how much time their kids spend on their devices and what apps they’re using. Setting healthy boundaries is key, but can be difficult to enforce.
The solution: Google’s Family Link app acts as a remote control for your child’s digital life. You can set daily screen time limits, approve or block app downloads, and even lock their device when it’s time for a break. For focused learning, the “School time” feature limits distractions during homework hours, helping your child build healthy digital habits.
4. Stay connected to your teen’s online world while respecting their independence.
As teens grow, they naturally seek more autonomy, but parents still want to ensure they are exploring online safely.
The solution: YouTube’s supervised accounts provide a balanced approach. They allow teens to explore a wider range of content while giving parents insights into their viewing history and the ability to set content filters. This helps you stay involved and start important conversations, while still respecting your teen’s desire for independence.
5. Encourage deep learning, not just quick answers, with AI.
For students, it can be tempting to use AI tools to get instant answers for homework, which can hinder real learning and critical thinking.
The solution: Gemini’s Guided Learning feature is designed to turn AI into a teaching assistant. Instead of just giving the answer, it breaks down complex math and science problems into logical, step-by-step explanations.
This empowers students to understand the “why” behind the solution and build the confidence to solve problems on their own.
6. Build the skills to identify false or misleading information.
It’s getting harder to tell what’s real and what’s not online, from fake news to AI-generated images.
The solution: Teach your family to use the SIFT method. That’s Stop. Investigate. Find. Trace.
Stop before you share, Investigate the source, Find better coverage from trusted sources, and Trace the claims back to their origin.
You can also use tools like “About this image” in Google Search to get context on where an image came from, helping you and your kids become more discerning digital citizens.
