How to delet things from google post death
September 17, 2010 8:25 PM Subscribe
How to delete things from google post death?
I found out today that my Dad's business (name of business, related phone numbers, address, etc) are still all over google as though his business were still up and running. This was the first time I googled his name since he died nearly five years ago. I find it (at minimum) misleading and (maximum) jarring/horrifying (particularly when I think of those people who may not know he is dead).
How do I permanently remove my Dad's business info from google?
I found out today that my Dad's business (name of business, related phone numbers, address, etc) are still all over google as though his business were still up and running. This was the first time I googled his name since he died nearly five years ago. I find it (at minimum) misleading and (maximum) jarring/horrifying (particularly when I think of those people who may not know he is dead).
How do I permanently remove my Dad's business info from google?
Here is Google's answer: Can I remove information from Google search results?
posted by LobsterMitten at 8:34 PM on September 17, 2010
posted by LobsterMitten at 8:34 PM on September 17, 2010
If the links are to sites like Yelp and CitySearch, you can probably contact those sites to remove the listing. Once they're gone, Google will eventually stop returning those results.
posted by Blue Jello Elf at 8:35 PM on September 17, 2010
posted by Blue Jello Elf at 8:35 PM on September 17, 2010
Remove that information from the pages Google is linking to (or delete the pages themselves), and wait.
posted by Sys Rq at 8:35 PM on September 17, 2010
posted by Sys Rq at 8:35 PM on September 17, 2010
The short explanation is, the information that Google shows us in search results comes from other websites, which Google does not own. (Google is like a big survey: "what do other websites say?" - and they just report what other websites say.) So to get the information removed from public view, you need to talk directly to all the other websites that are displaying it.
posted by LobsterMitten at 8:37 PM on September 17, 2010
posted by LobsterMitten at 8:37 PM on September 17, 2010
When you say that his business info is "all over Google", do you mean that the information is on specific websites that are turning up as search results on Google? If so, what kind of sites are they? Are they Yellow pages-type business listing sites, or personal blogs, or review websites, or what? You may be able to contact the people who run the sites and have the information updated.
posted by hot soup girl at 8:38 PM on September 17, 2010
posted by hot soup girl at 8:38 PM on September 17, 2010
Response by poster: I mean a search for his name + architect = many pages of his business as though it was a thing - I feel I have forgotten to do something (!) important by way of making this go away (we informed a school where he taught and AIA/ other Associations - but he's still there)..
posted by marimeko at 8:41 PM on September 17, 2010
posted by marimeko at 8:41 PM on September 17, 2010
The short answer is you'll probably never be able to remove all traces of your dad's business from Google. However, you can start contacting the actual websites that have the business information and ask that the content be removed. This, in turn, will remove those results from Google searches.
If your main concern is people thinking the business is still active, I would make sure that all phone numbers associated with the business are disconnected, or a message is played stating that the company is no longer in business
posted by Capa at 8:42 PM on September 17, 2010
If your main concern is people thinking the business is still active, I would make sure that all phone numbers associated with the business are disconnected, or a message is played stating that the company is no longer in business
posted by Capa at 8:42 PM on September 17, 2010
Best answer: There is a lot of out-of-date information online, so don't feel bad, or as if you're failing an obligation. Another thing you can do is check if his obituary shows up in the search results. Many people will realize that there is some out-of-date information online, and if they see an obituary they will be able to put two and two together.
If you want to take on this task it will be some work, and you will probably not be able to remove every mention. (Lots of unscrupulous websites copy information without being careful, and some of these will not be willing to do anything to update their information.)
If you do decide to try this, don't let yourself get discouraged if you are only able to do it partway.
Here's how you would begin to remove the information:
Suppose that you search for "Bob Smith", and Google shows that a website that is displaying your dad's old business number. Here's an example:
2. Then you need to search around that website (Example.com) until you find a phone number or email address where you can contact them and tell them to remove your dad's information. Try looking at the top or bottom of the page for something that says "About Us" or "Contact Us" or "Support" or "Help", that sort of thing. Reputable websites will give you a way to contact them. Scammy websites will make this difficult; if you can't find contact information you may just need to skip that site.
3. Contact that website owner and tell them the information is out of date and they should remove it from their site.
4. Go back to the Google results, and find the next website on the list. You will need to do steps 1-3 separately for each website showing up on Google. (This is why it's so hard to remove the information completely.)
5. Once you tell a website to remove the information, it may take a while before they actually remove it. Then it will take another little while before that change is reflected in the Google search results. This is because Google only checks ("crawls") each website occasionally. It may take days/weeks or more, so don't drive yourself crazy checking back all the time.
posted by LobsterMitten at 9:02 PM on September 17, 2010 [2 favorites]
If you want to take on this task it will be some work, and you will probably not be able to remove every mention. (Lots of unscrupulous websites copy information without being careful, and some of these will not be willing to do anything to update their information.)
If you do decide to try this, don't let yourself get discouraged if you are only able to do it partway.
Here's how you would begin to remove the information:
Suppose that you search for "Bob Smith", and Google shows that a website that is displaying your dad's old business number. Here's an example:
Example.com says "Bob Smith is an architect. His phone number is 555-2389."1. What you need to do is click on that website (here the website name is "Example.com") in the Google search results. Clicking will take you away from Google, to the other website that is actually displaying your dad's information.
2. Then you need to search around that website (Example.com) until you find a phone number or email address where you can contact them and tell them to remove your dad's information. Try looking at the top or bottom of the page for something that says "About Us" or "Contact Us" or "Support" or "Help", that sort of thing. Reputable websites will give you a way to contact them. Scammy websites will make this difficult; if you can't find contact information you may just need to skip that site.
3. Contact that website owner and tell them the information is out of date and they should remove it from their site.
4. Go back to the Google results, and find the next website on the list. You will need to do steps 1-3 separately for each website showing up on Google. (This is why it's so hard to remove the information completely.)
5. Once you tell a website to remove the information, it may take a while before they actually remove it. Then it will take another little while before that change is reflected in the Google search results. This is because Google only checks ("crawls") each website occasionally. It may take days/weeks or more, so don't drive yourself crazy checking back all the time.
posted by LobsterMitten at 9:02 PM on September 17, 2010 [2 favorites]
Another thing: if you do try this, you will probably end up visiting some websites that are scammy (since scammy websites copy information from good websites, they'll often show up in the search results as if they were good websites themselves, and it can be hard to tell them apart).
Scammy websites can try all kinds of tricks to give them your personal information -- for example "sign up for our coupon club", or to make you download a program -- they might say it's a game or a funny movie or a ringtone, but it can be a virus that will mess up your computer. Do not give them your phone number because they can use it to sign you up for automatic monthly charges on your phone bill (this recently happened to my mother-in-law, when a website said "give us your phone number to sign in").
Be on your guard when visiting websites that might be scammy!
Look for a phone number to call or an email address, and try not to click on anything else.
(Good luck, whatever you decide to do.)
posted by LobsterMitten at 9:25 PM on September 17, 2010
Scammy websites can try all kinds of tricks to give them your personal information -- for example "sign up for our coupon club", or to make you download a program -- they might say it's a game or a funny movie or a ringtone, but it can be a virus that will mess up your computer. Do not give them your phone number because they can use it to sign you up for automatic monthly charges on your phone bill (this recently happened to my mother-in-law, when a website said "give us your phone number to sign in").
Be on your guard when visiting websites that might be scammy!
Look for a phone number to call or an email address, and try not to click on anything else.
(Good luck, whatever you decide to do.)
posted by LobsterMitten at 9:25 PM on September 17, 2010
Google itself offers a Profile page, where the user can place information about himself. If he did not create one, perhaps you can create one "for" him.
posted by yclipse at 4:33 AM on September 18, 2010
posted by yclipse at 4:33 AM on September 18, 2010
I also suggest going to Google Maps and seeing it his business still shows up in those results. If so, you can go to the map listing and edit the result. Then add 'out of business' to the listing.
posted by IndigoSkye at 12:29 PM on September 18, 2010
posted by IndigoSkye at 12:29 PM on September 18, 2010
Contact the sites posting the info, but bug Google also-- needless to say, in an extremely humble, apologetic, "It's All My Fault" manner.
Intervention on their end is far from guaranteed, but if the Google Elves feel like helping you, good things can quite inexplicably happen.
posted by darth_tedious at 2:45 PM on September 18, 2010
Intervention on their end is far from guaranteed, but if the Google Elves feel like helping you, good things can quite inexplicably happen.
posted by darth_tedious at 2:45 PM on September 18, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by llc at 8:33 PM on September 17, 2010