How Can You Prevent Your Name from Appearing in Search Results? Explaining the Methods of Removal

It is not uncommon for individuals who are not celebrities active on television or YouTube to experience their names appearing in search results. When your name appears in search results on Google or Yahoo! JAPAN, it is important to be cautious as it can lead to privacy infringement and reputational damage.

So, why might your name appear in search results? And what should you do if your name does come up?

This article will explain the reasons why your name might appear in search results, methods to prevent it, and what steps to take if it cannot be removed.

Why Your Name Appears in Search Results

There are several reasons why your name may appear in search engine results, including:

• Personal broadcasting under your name
• Having a career or achievements featured in the media
• Others broadcasting information under your name

If you have registered and posted on social media accounts or blogs with your full name, such as Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), or Instagram, your name is likely to show up in search results. The more frequently you update, the more likely your name will appear.

Another reason your name may appear in search results is if you have a history or achievements that have been featured in the media. Examples of such achievements include:

• Achieving certain results in official competitions or contests
• Having academic papers published

Your name and comments may also be featured on corporate or school websites as testimonials, or your name and career may be listed on the websites of universities or hospitals you are affiliated with.

Additionally, if you have a history of legal issues and have been arrested, with your name appearing in news articles, this can also lead to your name being found in search results.

In fact, there have been cases where individuals who had retired from the entertainment industry still found outdated information (including baseless rumors and defamation, or their real names being exposed) that would not disappear from search engines. One such individual consulted a law firm and successfully requested the deletion of all such information.

Related article: Deletion of Past Entertainment Activities[ja]

Even if you have not broadcasted any information or have no career or achievements, your name may still appear in search results if someone else has broadcasted information under your name. This is particularly common for public figures such as politicians, artists, and authors, who may not have disclosed their names on social media or blogs, yet others may have shared information about them.

Social media and blogs allow individuals to freely broadcast information over the internet, and there are cases where personal names are published without the individual’s permission. Regardless of whether the content is negative or positive, if a personal name is mentioned, it will be reflected in search results.

When your name appears in search results due to someone else’s post, it can spread and potentially lead to reputational damage, so it’s important to be vigilant.

The Risks of Ignoring Your Name Appearing in Search Results

Some may think it’s harmless to leave their personal name appearing in search results unaddressed. However, this can lead to risks of defamation and privacy invasion, so caution is necessary.

Potential for Defamation

Your personal name appearing in search results can lead to the risk of defamation. Defamation involves acts that harm others, such as speaking ill or posting baseless statements on the internet.

When your name is easily accessible in search results, it can be misused by those with malicious intent, potentially leading to unwarranted defamation from unkind individuals.

Especially on social media, where information can spread quickly and widely, it’s crucial to address the issue promptly to prevent extensive damage.

Potential for Loss of Credibility

Another risk of your personal name appearing in search results is the potential loss of credibility among peers. If defamatory information spreads among friends and family, it can negatively impact trust relationships. It can also be disadvantageous in job hunting or career changes, so be vigilant.

Nowadays, it’s increasingly common for employers to search the internet for a candidate’s personal name during the hiring process. They do this to assess what kind of information the candidate disseminates online and to judge their personality.

By searching a candidate’s name and reviewing their online content, companies evaluate the candidate’s internet literacy and their reliability in handling confidential information. If a candidate has posted personal details such as their address or complaints about previous workplaces or clients, it could lower their evaluation.

If false or negative information spreads online, it can not only lead to being viewed suspiciously by others but also disadvantage you in employment or career transitions, so exercise caution.

Potential for Business Interference

Negative information appearing in search results can lead to business interference as a result of decreased credibility. This is particularly concerning if the reason for the search hits is not due to awards in competitions but rather due to controversies or reputational damage.

If a negative image spreads, it can become uncomfortable at your workplace and even known to your employer. If clients become aware, it could sour relationships or negatively impact transactions, leading to business interference.

Potential for Privacy Invasion

There’s a risk of privacy invasion when personal information such as addresses or family details, not just names, are made public. Consider, for example, being interviewed after achieving good results in a competition or event.

If you discuss your family structure or residential area during an interview, and that information is published by the media, it will be reflected in search results. Even without negative comments, the display of information other than your name can be misused to attack an individual.

Furthermore, if posts on social media or blogs go viral, there may be attempts to identify your address. Malicious individuals spreading such information can lead to privacy invasion and harm.

How to Prevent Your Name from Appearing in Search Results

To ensure that your name does not appear in search engine results, you can use the following methods:

• Adjust privacy settings for each media platform
• Request removal from site administrators
• Consider requesting removal from search results

Here, we will explain each method in detail.

Adjust Privacy Settings for Each Media Platform

If you have published your name on social media, it can appear in search engine results, making it essential to adjust privacy settings for each platform. Here, we will explain how to adjust privacy settings on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).

Especially on Facebook, where real-name registration is mandatory, your name may appear in search results if you leave the default settings unchanged. Follow these steps to adjust your privacy settings:

1. Click on your profile picture at the top right of the Facebook screen
2. Select ‘Settings & Privacy,’ then click on ‘Settings’
3. Choose ‘Privacy’ from the options on the left, then select ‘How People Find and Contact You’
4. Turn off ‘Do you want search engines outside of Facebook to link to your profile?’

Even with these settings, your profile information and shared content may still appear in search engine results.

On X, you can make your posts private and prevent them from appearing in search results by locking your account. The steps to lock your account are as follows (for iPhone & Android):

1. Select ‘Settings and Support’ in the app
2. Choose ‘Settings and Privacy’
3. Select ‘Privacy and Safety’
4. Choose ‘Audience and Tagging’
5. Turn on the checkbox for ‘Protect your Tweets’

However, locking your account will require approval for new followers and prevent reposting. If you simply want to prevent your name from being searchable, it is recommended to use a non-real name for your account.

Request Removal from Site Administrators

If your name is listed on a specific website, social media, or bulletin board, you should request its removal from the site administrators. To contact site administrators, use the site’s ‘Contact Form.’

When making a removal request, it is smoother to include the following information:

• Date and time of the post
• URL of the posted content
• The specific part you want to be removed

Also, save screenshots that show the date and URL.

Consider Requesting Removal from Search Results

To prevent your name from appearing in search results, consider requesting its removal from search engines. Even if you have set your media profiles to private or requested deletion, your information may still appear in search results.

If removed from search results, your name will no longer appear when searched. We will explain the detailed removal process later.

How to Remove Your Name from Search Engine Results

Even if you adjust your privacy settings or request deletions on various platforms, it can take time for these changes to be reflected in search engine results. In such cases, it’s advisable to directly request the removal of your name from search engine hits.

Here, we will explain how to request removal from search engines like Google and Yahoo! JAPAN.

Submitting a Request to Remove Search Results from Google

Requests to remove search results from Google are divided into two categories: personal information and content. You can proceed with the requests through the following links:

1. Remove personal information from Google Search
2. Remove content from Google

If you wish to remove personal details such as your name, phone number, or address, you should use the form in option 1. If you want to remove content that is legally problematic, such as defamation, you should apply through the form in option 2.

If you would like to learn more about Google’s policies, please refer to the article below.

Related Article: Can Naming Names in Google Reviews Be Defamation? We Also Explain How to Remove Them[ja]

Requesting the Removal of Images Appearing in Google Search Results

If an inconvenient photo of yourself appears in Google search results, you can request its removal by following the steps below.

1. Display the problematic image on Google.
2. Right-click on the image and select “Copy link address”.
3. Click on “Request an update” in the Update outdated content section.
4. Select the relevant option for a new request and click “Next”.
5. Choose the image tab, paste the copied URL, and click submit.

The reason images appear in search engines is due to sites that are not owned by Google. Therefore, it is necessary to first request the site administrator to remove the image.

Requesting the Removal of Search Results on Yahoo! JAPAN

If you wish to have search results removed from Yahoo! JAPAN, you must follow the procedures outlined in Removing Specific Web Pages from Search Results[ja]. Unlike Google, Yahoo! JAPAN does not allow individuals to submit removal requests directly, so you will need to contact the site administrator to address the issue.

Strategies for Removing Your Name from Search Results When It’s Difficult

If your request to remove your name from a website is ignored by the site administrator, consulting with an attorney is recommended. By engaging an attorney, you can directly request the site administrator to remove the content, and also smoothly proceed with legal actions if necessary.

While you can opt for a regular civil lawsuit to request removal, such lawsuits can be time-consuming. Therefore, it is common to first apply for a provisional injunction, which is a temporary measure to protect the rights of the petitioner when waiting for the trial’s outcome could result in disadvantage.

The steps for requesting removal through a provisional injunction are as follows:

1. File a removal request
2. Attend a court hearing (interview)
3. Pay a security deposit
4. The court issues the provisional injunction
5. Enforcement

The security deposit is a fee to guarantee any potential damages that the opposing party might incur due to the enforcement of an illegal or unjust provisional injunction.

By working with an attorney for your removal request, you not only take legal action but also receive advice and support to smoothly proceed with the process, including the removal request and payment of the security deposit.

Furthermore, with specialized knowledge and past case studies, an attorney can devise the best strategy and take necessary measures swiftly. This increases the likelihood of successful removal and ensures that subsequent actions are handled efficiently.

Summary: Consult a Lawyer for Removing Your Name from Search Results

Your name may appear in search results for reasons other than actively using your real name on the internet; it could also be due to your career achievements and records being published online. If left unaddressed, your name appearing in search results could lead to defamation or privacy infringement, so caution is necessary.

Measures such as adjusting privacy settings or requesting removal can make your name invisible in search results. However, it is often challenging to handle these issues on your own. In such cases, please consult a lawyer for assistance.

Guidance on Measures by Our Firm

Monolith Law Office is a law firm with extensive experience in IT, particularly in both the internet and legal fields. In recent years, information related to reputational damage and defamation spread online has caused serious harm as a ‘digital tattoo.’ Our firm provides solutions to combat these ‘digital tattoos.’ Please refer to the article below for more details.

Areas of practice at Monolith Law Office: Digital Tattoo[ja]