Google is removing personal medical records from search engine results

Google usually doesn't remove much of the information from the search results, but earlier this week it began removing private medical records from search results. Google quietly made the change with an update to its Removal Policies by including medical records under personal information section. "We may remove certain types of personal information from Google Search Results," the policy reads and this information now includes "confidential, personal medical records of private people."

Google retains the right to remove national identification numbers, credit card numbers, bank account information and social security numbers as well as "nude or sexually explicit images that were added without your consent." A Google spokeswoman said that such information can only be removed if the company gets specific requests from individuals.

"We want to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible. But there are few instances where we will remove information from the search pages," the tech giant notes.
The decision to remove personal medical records follow several high-profile data breaches around the world.

In December, a pathology lab in India mistakenly uploaded the records of over 43,000 patients containing sensitive information, including names and blood tests fo HIV. Theses records were indexed in Google's search pages.

The new addition to Google's scrubbing policy marks a change from the company's traditional algorithmic approach which resists attempting censorship. Google also recently adjusted its search ranking system to filter misleading articles, or fake news, following criticism for hosting and promoting content in results.