Can this Google result be removed?
Five questions, answered in your browser, with no email address required. The result points you at the removal, correction, reporting or suppression route that is most realistic for the kind of content you are dealing with in Canada.
Common scenarios and what usually happens
An old article names you in a matter that was later dropped
Google will not de-index a lawful article. The realistic ask is a publisher update or outcome note recording what happened, followed by suppression for whatever remains.
A directory lists your home address and mobile number
Strong route. Google's personal information policies cover this, and most directories run an opt-out. Expect to repeat it, since data brokers reacquire records.
A page you had deleted still shows in Google with the old text
Fast route. Confirm the live URL is gone or changed, then submit an outdated content refresh for Google and Bing separately.
An intimate image was posted without your consent
Report it to the platform immediately and consider contacting police, since this is a criminal offence in Canada. NeedHelpNow.ca offers free takedown support.
A competitor left a damaging review
Removal depends entirely on the review platform's policies. Google Search will not remove it. If the platform declines, the answer is response, volume of genuine reviews and suppression.
Your name appears in a published court list or judgment
Rarely removable, and legal restrictions can apply to how it is handled. This is a matter to raise with a Canadian lawyer before anything is submitted, especially if a publication ban may apply.
Who controls what
| Party | Controls |
|---|---|
| Publisher or website owner | The original content: whether the page stays online, is edited, corrected, unpublished or noindexed at the source. |
| The Google Search index and what appears in its results, including personal information removals, outdated content refreshes and legal removals. Google does not control the source page. | |
| Bing | The Bing index and its own separate removal and content refresh tools. A Google removal does not affect Bing. |
| Privacy regulators | Complaints about how organizations handle personal information. Depending on the organization and province, that may be the federal Privacy Commissioner (PIPEDA) or a provincial commissioner. Regulators do not order search results removed on request. |
| Police and courts | Criminal matters such as intimate images shared without consent, and court orders. We are not a law firm; legal routes need a lawyer. |
| Search Cleanup Canada | Assessment, strategy, documentation, submissions, publisher and platform outreach, and suppression work. We do not control any third party decision. |
Important limitation
FAQ